The ground was silvery white. Yang Ling excitedly returned from the inner factory and threw his horsewhip to his family. He rubbed his hands together as he walked to the veranda and asked with a smile, "No one came today, right?"
Housekeeper Gao helped him take off his black, gold-lined, velvet cloak and replied, "It snowed heavily last night. Perhaps you all felt that the journey was inconvenient, so it was quiet all day."
After the cloak was taken off, a yellow python robe was revealed. This robe was similar to a dragon robe, but the robe was embroidered with a four-clawed golden dragon, one less claw than the dragon robe. The python robe, flying fish robe, and bullfighting robe were not part of the official robes of the imperial court. They were specially bestowed by the emperor.
Liu Jin and Gu Daeyong were also bestowed with python robes, but Gu Daeyong's python robe was slanted towards a single python, while Yang Ling and Liu Jin's python robe was slanted towards a single python. There were four pythons on the robe, and it was especially noble.
Yu Yong returned from the south. The Huizhou merchants who mainly dealt in rice and the Shaanxi merchants who mainly dealt in tea and horses all agreed to cooperate with the inner factory under the enticement of benefits. As for the Zhejiang merchants, there was no need to mention them. These rich and powerful people all had great power behind them.
With their alliance and the cooperation of the eunuchs guarding the various areas, the inner factory in one fell swoop surpassed the Dongchang and Imperial Bodyguard, which had been painstakingly built up for many years. They quickly gained a foothold in the south and gained great power.
Yang Ling did not expect Yu Yong, who had always been looked down upon, to have such great ability. He was so happy that he could not close his mouth. He immediately invited several of his trusted aides to bring their families to his home for a drink and a party during the New Year. The kindness of the Shangguan family was like a whole to them. Wu Jie, Huang Qiyin, Yu Yong, and the others were naturally happy to agree.
By now, Zhu Zhishan had already happily taken up his post in Taoyuan. He brought several of his family members who knew how to plant these Southeast Asian species to the capital. What surprised Yang Ling was that other than corn, there were also peppers, peanuts, and potatoes, as well as the seeds of an ornamental plant. According to the farmer's description, Yang Ling knew that the flower was called a tomato.
This was not a farmer who had come back from the Southeast Asian, but Tang Sanzang who had retrieved the Mahayana scriptures. Yang Ling beamed with joy. Such a nutritious and easy to grow fruit. He remembered that when it was spread to the West, it was thought to be poisonous. Now, it was going to blossom in Ming Destiny and benefit the world.
From Zhu Zhishan's mouth, he learned that Tang Bohu and the others were very envious of him when they heard about him. They also expressed their desire to become officials and serve the court. However, he was not in a hurry to do this.
The Japanese admired Chinese culture very much. Yang Ling looked at these masters who painted erotic scenes and really did not want to become a county magistrate material. He was prepared to do cultural diplomacy in the future when the ban on the sea was lifted. With these few distinguished scholars, he was sure that the Japanese upper class who liked to attach themselves to the culture would fall head over heels for them.
What excited him the most was that AS3 and the craftsmen of the inner factory had finally developed a new type of gun. This kind of gun had a shooting range of four hundred feet, twice as long as the original gun, and its firing speed was six times faster. The threat it posed was incomparable to before.
When Yang Ling saw the gun, he still had some difficulty loading it. Moreover, he remembered that modern guns seemed to have rifling in the barrel. When the bullet left the chamber, it would produce a rotation, and the centrifugal force would cause the bullet to travel a longer distance.
Yang Ling tried to explain this principle to the ordnance experts and drew the basic structure of the modern bullet. These craftsmen, who had just received a generous reward, immediately immersed themselves in the new research. Yang Ling knew that the treatment given to the inventors at that time was pitifully low, so he gave the craftsmen generous rewards. This caused many of the foremen and foremen of the inner factory to be endlessly envious.
Originally, he wanted to ask AS3 to help him improve the cannon. Regardless of whether it was ancient or modern, the cannon's use on the battlefield was no small matter. Its lethality was astonishing. However, he did not have enough materials on hand to research this type of large firearm. Moreover, he had also violated the imperial court's taboo. It seemed that he would have to wait for the new gun to show further results before reporting to the Emperor and collaborating with the Bureau of Ordnance.
Yang Ling stomped the snow on his feet and walked into the main hall. He thought, "Today Gu Daeyong, Zhang Yong, Miao Kui, and the others did not come to the mansion. Jiao Fang also did not make any movement. Looks like there is nothing important in the imperial court. I will go and see how the seedlings are doing. Those are my precious treasures."
He turned his head to look at the tall spire a hundred zhang away diagonally across from him. That was the newly built cathedral, which had already begun to take shape. Because the weather had turned cold and it was snowing, the construction had stopped. The spire was covered with pure white snow, giving it a rather exotic feeling.
Yang Ling showed a faint smile as he unhurriedly walked into the rear courtyard. The garden was wrapped in silver and white, the walls were carved out of powder and carved out of jade, the artificial mountains and stone corridors were elegant and extraordinary. From a distance, the clear and melodious sound of a zither entered the ears, making one feel relaxed and happy, as if they had entered the realm of immortals.
Yang Ling slowed his steps and cocked his head to listen to the zither. He thought, "Who is playing the zither? Listening to this skilled tone, it is clearly not the Young-niang who has just started practicing. If it is not Sheridan, then it must be Cheng Qiyun."
Yang Ling had originally wanted to use his influence with the Emperor. Even if he could not completely lift the ban on the sea, he would still forcefully open one or two ports, especially Tianjin Wei, which was close to the foot of the Son of Heaven. It must be opened. This place's geographical location was not as good as the south, but its political position was too important.
Only by opening this place to the outside world could he quickly broaden the horizons and views of the civil and military officials who controlled Ming Destiny's lifeline. As long as one-third of these people were willing to agree with his views, he would not have to worry about Ming Destiny not lifting the ban on the sea early.
Who would have thought that there would be so many twists and turns? First, the lifting of the ban involved arable land, and from arable land involved the improvement of species. Up until now, the most important goal had not yet been put on the agenda. Cheng Qiyun's return journey was delayed again and again, and she stayed at the Yang House.
Walking into the piano room in the Flower Hall, Yang Ling could not help but be surprised. The woman with ten slender fingers and incomparably graceful eyebrows playing the zither was actually Gao Wenxin. She wore a short jacket made of silver mink fur, accentuating her simple and elegant appearance, red lips, and white teeth. Seeing Yang Ling enter, Gao Wenxin's eyes lit up with joy, and she hurriedly reached out to press down on the zither strings.
The sound of the zither stopped abruptly, and Gao Wenxin slipped off the Arhat bed. Her plain face slightly blushed, and she bowed slightly, saying, "Greetings … Milord."
Ever since the Palace issued the edict that Gao Wenxin was receiving the court's salary and was appointed as a female official of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Yang Ling had built another house in the garden of the back courtyard, which was several acres of land, specifically for the Gao siblings to live in. Their daily expenses were still provided by the Yang Family, but it could be considered a separate house. It was not good for Gao Wenxin to visit every day, so they saw each other less. Who would have thought that he would see her today, and Yang Ling did not know that she was good at playing the zither.
Gao Wenxin used to call Yang Ling Laoye, but after removing her maidservant status, she was Young-niang's sworn sister, so she should call Yang Ling brother-in-law. How could Gao Wenxin be willing? Once she called him brother-in-law, she would lose her husband, so she always called Yang Ling Milord according to her official position.
Yang Ling saw that she was wearing a light blue dress, and when she walked, the bottom of the dress was faintly visible. She had a light red flower-patterned trousers, and a gold phoenix hairpin and high soled shoes. As she stood, her tall and slender figure, with a pair of sapphire earrings gently swaying under her ears that were as delicate as ingots, had a unique kind of elegant beauty.
Yang Ling laughed, "'Wind Enters the Pines'? Young-niang learned this song, and I like it very much. Listening to such a simple and elegant song at night makes it easy to fall asleep. I didn't expect you to also like this song. Why are you the only one here, where are the others? "
Hearing this, Gao Wenxin's charming face turned red. She had heard from Young-niang that Yang Ling liked to listen to this song the most, but she didn't have the music score in her hands, so she came to seriously learn it from Cheng Qiyun. How could she tell Yang Ling about her daughter's thoughts? She looked into the bed with a smile, and softly said, "Oh, there's another one, your second gear hairpin is also here."
Only now did Yang Ling notice the bed. Near the head of the bed, Cheng Qiyun was reclining on a brocade quilt, and her body was covered with a layer of lake green quilt, revealing only her snow-white jade-like face. Her cheeks were bright red, and her beautiful eyes were misty, as she slept soundly.
Yang Ling couldn't help but laugh, saying, "It must be hard on her. Growing up, she has never been to the north, and has never experienced such cold weather. People say that cats are winter, cats are winter, but she really is like a cat, sleeping all day without stopping, almost like hibernation."
Gao Wenxin giggled, then quickly glanced at Yang Ling, her expression somewhat strange, but Yang Ling didn't notice. He was only twenty after the new year, and Cheng Qiyun was older than him by six or seven years. Looking at the way he spoke, he seemed to think that Cheng Qiyun was younger than him. How could Gao Wenxin know that Yang Ling's true mental age was more than ten years older than he was now?
Cheng Qiyun faintly heard a man's voice, and her eyes slightly opened. Seeing that it was Yang Ling, she hurriedly struggled to sit up, lifting the quilt on her body, and said, "Daren has returned, this lowly officer has been rude."
Yang Ling said, "It must be hard on you. You're not used to the northern weather, right? It can't be considered very cold right now, but when it's really cold, it's like a drop of water turning into ice. "Speaking to here, he looked at the quilt on the bed in a slightly absent-minded manner.
Cheng Qiyun's cheeks slightly heated up, and she looked uncomfortably at her own attire. She wore a fragrant silk jacket with the design of wild geese, and on the outside, she wore a green and peach blossom red bikini, a white silk collar, flowery eyebrows, and a golden bee chased grape button. Although it was a bit bloated, that slender waist and ample bosom were not covered up. Why is Daren looking at me like this?
Cheng Qiyun saw that Yang Ling's eyes were still fixed on her, and the places that he was looking at, her thighs under the quilt seemed to become numb and hot. She bit her lip, and lightly moved to the side of the bed with her hands. In a soft voice, she said, "Daren, what's wrong?"
Yang Ling stared blankly for a moment, and then suddenly said, "Ah? Oh … "He took a deep breath and said," I remember this time last year, it was much colder than it is now. The broken house in the ravine, the wind was coming in through the window, and there was only an old cotton quilt at home, about the same as this one. Young-niang would cover me with it at night, and she would cover herself with a thin cotton quilt. Just like that, we endured the greater part of the winter … "
"Ah!" Gao Wenxin and Cheng Qiyun both stared with wide eyes, especially Cheng Qiyun, who had never been to the north before. She imagined that it was even colder than this. There was no charcoal brazier by the side of the kang, and there was wind coming in through the window. Wasn't that asking for death? No wonder … No wonder he treated Han Youniang so well. For her, he dared to disobey the imperial edict, and was not afraid of being beheaded.
"Sigh …" Yang Ling shook his head and sighed, "At that time, I just thought that I could make a name for myself, and not let Young-niang suffer like that again. That way, I would be satisfied. Who knew … there would never be a time when a person is satisfied. Now that I have made a name for myself, I think even more …"
When one is poor, one should take care of oneself. When one is rich, one should help the world. Now that he was in this position, there was a chance to make Ming Destiny stronger, and there was a chance to make the people richer. Who would be able to resist this kind of temptation?
Cheng Qiyun and Gao Wenxin didn't know what was on his mind, and only thought that he was referring to fame and fortune. Cheng Qiyun smiled and said, "Your Excellency's thinking is not wrong. Yesterday, when you planned for Madam, you fulfilled your responsibility as a husband. Today, when you plan for the court, you fulfilled your responsibility as a minister. In the future, you still have to plan for your descendants. In life, there will always be various reasons that force you to fight. Even if you want to stay out of it, others won't."
When she said this, Yang Ling remembered that he had been back for more than a month. He had been working hard. His third wife was still young, and their bodies were tender. They often couldn't bear it. Now that the sweet potatoes in the warm cellar were growing crazily, why didn't their bodies move? Could it be that Gao Wenxin's medical skills had failed?
Thinking of this, Yang Ling was a little unhappy. He sighed and said, "Continue playing the zither, I will go to the back."
Cheng Qiyun hurriedly got off the ground, took off her shoes, and stroked the seahorse's moon-patterned sheepskin skirt. She smiled sweetly and said, "Madam is in the warm cellar in the backyard. I have slept enough, I will accompany you to take a look."
He planted some crops in the warm cellar, and at the same time, cultivated many sweet potatoes and seedlings. Yang Ling knew that he would need a large number of people to teach him how to plant seeds at the same time in the future, so he hired dozens of local farming experts to learn from the Nanyang Chinese. The Missionary Xie Gos would also come over frequently to teach him the techniques and things to take note of when planting seeds in different areas.
Han Youniang saw that her husband was very concerned about this matter, and she was good at farming, so she often went to the warm cellar to help. At the same time, she also learned how to plant these crops. Gao Wenxin and Cheng Qiyun knew nothing about this kind of work. In addition, they had an instinctive contempt for farming, so they were not very enthusiastic about it.
No matter what Yutang Chun and Sheridan thought, they could not just sit at home when Madam was personally doing it. So, the two delicate and timid beauties also changed into coarse clothes and followed Young-niang to fertilize, water, and tend to the crops.
The warm cellar in the back garden was very large. It was built by the soldiers of the Imperial Household under the guidance of the Imperial Household Warm Cellar Master. Two-thirds of it was underground, and one-third was on the ground. The roof was covered with dense crop stalks, and there were special air vents. There were six skylights above, and after the light was let in, it was refracted by more than twenty large bronze mirrors, and the warm cellar was as bright as day.
Yang Ling, Cheng Qiyun, and Gao Wenxin climbed more than twenty steps and walked down to the warm cellar. They saw three neat rows of trellises planted with all kinds of green seedlings. These were mainly used for trial planting, and when spring came, they would be directly transplanted to the local area. As for the other three areas, they would be sent to the local farmers with the seeds to cultivate.
The old man who had just returned from Nanyang, Wang Donghuai, and a few farmers were pointing at a bunch of sweet potato seedlings and saying something. He then plucked off a section and inserted it into the soil. When he saw the two girls, Yang Ling and Cheng Qiyun, he quickly stopped and respectfully called out: "Master."
Yang Ling waved his hand and smiled: "You guys continue, don't worry about me. Where's Madam? "
Wang Donghuai pointed inside and said: "Madam is over there, taking care of something that Master has given a new name, chili pepper." When Yang Ling discovered this chili pepper seed, he was surprised and delighted. But the name Wang Donghuai said was very hard to pronounce, and he could not remember what it was called. At that time, he just gave it a new name, and directly called it chili pepper.
As long as the temperature is right, this thing can grow in any season. Two days ago, the chili pepper seedlings had already grown very tall, and were faintly spitting out white flower buds. Yang Ling nodded and led the two girls over. In the distance, there was a beam of light shining directly on a bright green patch. Han Youniang, Yutang Chun, and Sheridan were wearing straight collared green shirts with small sleeves, and a grey waistcoat. They were in high spirits and gently stroking the green seedlings.
Yang Ling called out: "Young-niang." Hearing this, Han Youniang turned her head and happily said: "Husband, quickly come and see, these chili peppers have bloomed. In the future, they will bear the red chili peppers that you used in hot pot, right? I really want to know what it tastes like. "As she said this, she smiled lightly at Gao Wenxin and said:" Sister Wen Xin. "
When Yang Ling heard that the chili peppers had bloomed, his legs tightened, and he rushed over excitedly. Han Youniang rolled up her sleeves, revealing a white arm, and smiled as she pointed at the green seedlings and said: "Husband, look, there are a lot of them. I took care of this patch." As she said this, she was beaming with joy.
The patch of tomatoes next to them was also growing very luxuriantly. Yang Ling knew that these things needed to be pruned, but unfortunately he did not know whether to prune before or after they bloomed, and he did not know what to prune. He only guessed that it was to prevent the seedlings from growing too fast and only producing leaves and no fruit.
So he asked the farmer to divide the persimmon seedlings into groups of two, and divided them into ten groups. They were prepared to be pruned in different ways before and after they bloomed. He also recorded the pruning process, and then judged which method was correct based on the growth.
Yang Ling looked at the field of chili peppers. Sure enough, in just two days, a large number of flowers had sprouted. Some of them had just bloomed, and the calyx below was still light green.
Han Youniang smiled and held his arm. She smiled sweetly and said: "Husband, when will they bear fruit? Those red, pointed fruits that you mentioned?"
Yang Ling lovingly pinched the tip of her nose and said with a smile: "If they grow like this, they won't bear many fruits."
"Ah?" Han Youniang's eyes widened in shock. She saw Yang Ling bend down slightly and pick up a larger white flower. He reached out and pinched it. Han Youniang couldn't help but cry out in distress.
She saw Yang Ling pinching the calyx and carefully sweeping the stamens on the blooming flowers. He said with a smile: "Young-niang, for these things to bear flowers, they need to be pollinated. You usually only plant them on the ground, so you probably don't know, right?
Pollination uses wind power. Sometimes a slight breeze can carry the pollen from one flower to other flowers. Most of the time, it relies on bees or other insects crawling around the flowers. When they are covered in pollen, they are then passed to another flower. It's fine to grow vegetables in this warm cellar in winter, but when it comes to growing fruits, the wind is too weak, and there are no bees, so they have to be manually pollinated. "
Not to mention Han Youniang who knew how to grow crops, Cheng Qiyun and Gao Wenxin, who were well-read, did not understand this reasoning. Even the master sent by Yu Tian's warm cellar, who happened to pass by, was extremely surprised. He said in surprise: "There's actually such a reasoning? I was wondering why the melons and fruits that I usually plant in the warm cellar for His Majesty to eat in winter rarely bear fruit. I thought it was because the weather was not right and we couldn't go against the heavens. So it was because of this reason. Daren is really … really knowledgeable. This little one must try it when I go back. "
Yang Ling laughed dryly: "This is one reason, but the melons and fruits grown in winter are not as tasty as the ones grown in normal seasons. This is because the temperature, sunlight, and climate are too different. En … if you want to plant a good taste, try to imitate the environment of the corresponding season."
That master Yu Tian nodded repeatedly, wishing he could immediately go back and plant two trees. Pollinating each tree was a meticulous task. After a short while, Yang Ling lost his patience. He threw away the flowers and said: "Let's go. The ventilation here is not bad, but it's still a bit stuffy. Today Wen Xin came to see you, let's go out and have a cup of tea."
Han Youniang obediently let him hold her hand. The group of people chatted and laughed as they walked out. Yang Ling casually asked: "Yu'Er, Cher, I sent six accountants from the inner factory to teach you how to keep accounts. Have they all finished teaching?"
Yutang Chun rolled up her sleeves as she replied: "En, those six gentlemen are all experienced accountants. It's just that they learned a new method very quickly. They learned it in less than two days, and they also figured out many principles. Even Cher and I didn't expect this."
Yang Ling said: "That's natural. These gentlemen are experts in keeping accounts. I can only remember so much about this method. If I teach them, as long as they understand the principles, they will naturally be able to make up for it. Since they already know how to do it, it will be a lot easier. In a few days I will have them go to the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Works, and other places to teach those accountants. It is too strenuous for the imperial court to calculate these figures. "
Sheridan had been eager to say something, but there were too many people around Yang Ling, so she couldn't get a word in edgewise. It wasn't until they reached the entrance of the warm cellar and were about to go up the stairs that she took the opportunity to lean over and whisper something into Yang Ling's ear. When Yang Ling heard this, he suddenly turned his body and cried out in surprise: "Really?"
Then he turned back and held Han Youniang's shoulders, saying, "You little girl, do you want me to punish you according to the family rules? Why … why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? "As he spoke, his voice trembled in surprise.
His voice was too loud. Cheng Qiyun and Gao Wenxin had just taken a step when their legs went soft and they almost fell. The two of them also turned around and ran to Han Youniang's side. They grabbed her hand and looked her up and down. They asked questions at once, pushing Yutang Chun and Sheridan to the side.
Han Youniang's face immediately turned red. Her pair of black eyes did not dare to look at anyone. In the end, she stared at the ground and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito, "Um … maybe … maybe … maybe … Aiya, Cher, if I had known earlier, I wouldn't have told you."
She lightly stomped her feet and glared at Sheridan. Then, she shyly lowered her head and said to Yang Ling, "Husband, I didn't dare to confirm … I was afraid that I would be happy for nothing, so I didn't …"
Gao Wenxin immediately pulled Young-niang's wrist and felt her pulse. The surroundings immediately became silent. Yang Ling felt that his heart was about to jump out. Han Youniang bit her lips. She didn't dare to look at Gao Wenxin's face. She just stared at her husband's face. Her eyes were watery and her slightly dark face was flushed red.
After a long while, Gao Wenxin let out a long sigh and gently put down Young-niang's wrist. Yang Ling hurriedly asked, "How is it, Wen Xin, Young-niang, she …?"
Han Youniang also nervously swallowed her saliva. Gao Wenxin looked at Han Youniang with a complicated expression and said softly, "Congratulations, Sister Young-niang."
Sheridan and Yutang Chun cried out in envy and joy. Yang Ling was also so happy that he forgot himself. He held Young-niang's hand excitedly for a long time before he laughed happily and said, "Good, good, my baby Young-niang never disappoints me. Hahaha, let's go up quickly. The air here is not good. Don't come down again in the future."
After hearing Gao Wenxin's words, Han Youniang's heart returned to her stomach. Seeing her husband's expression, she also felt very happy. She gently held her husband's hand and begged in a low voice, "Husband, I like to play with these things. I want to see them bear fruits that are as red as fire. It must be very beautiful."
Yang Ling waved his hand and said, "What's the problem? I'll ask someone to plant eight or ten pots of them and put them all in our house. Umm … do you want tomatoes and sweet potatoes? "
Han Youniang nodded like a chicken pecking rice. She said happily, "Yes, yes, yes. That's great. Husband, you are so good to Young-niang."
Yang Ling said proudly, "Then put ten pots of each. You will be in a good mood when you have something to do. When you are in a good mood, your son will be happy. Hahaha … Come on, let's go up."
Yutang Chun and Sheridan hurriedly supported Han Youniang on both sides, which made Han Youniang angry and amused at the same time. She said with slight annoyance, "What are you doing? I'm fine. But you, Yu'Er, almost fell down just now. I don't need help."
Yang Ling also felt that she was just pregnant and there was no need to make such a fuss. But looking at the steep stairs, his heart was still in suspense. He held Young-niang's hand tightly and said, "Come, husband will hold you. Don't come here again, but you still have to exercise. Every day, husband will go out for a walk with you and take you around the village."
His care and consideration made Han Youniang very touched. When Yutang Chun and Sheridan saw this scene, they wished they could be pregnant as soon as possible and enjoy such care from their husband. Cheng Qiyun and Gao Wenxin each had their own thoughts. The group slowly walked out of the warm cellar.
※ ※ ※
Light snowflakes floated down. The news that the Yang Family was going to have a young master made the whole household overjoyed. Most of the farmers stayed at home during the winter. Other than some children running around in the village, it was rare to see anyone.
Before the smoke on the roofs of some houses had dissipated, the door of the Yang House opened. Yang Ling, wearing a big cloak, walked out of the door majestically. Behind him, Gao Wenxin and Cheng Qiyun accompanied Young-niang out of the mansion.
The three of them were all wearing snow-white sand fox cloaks and Zhao Jun hats of the same color. The three beauties with different temperaments stood in the light snowflakes. They were beautiful and elegant, making people forget about their worldly appearance. Behind him, six servants came out and quietly closed the door.
Yang Ling said, "Walk slowly. Let's go to the entrance of the village."
The group of people left the village and slowly walked along the side of the silvery white fields. Yang Ling pointed to a piece of land and asked, "Wen Xin, this land is yours, right?"
Gao Wenxin nodded slightly. She narrowed her beautiful big eyes and looked at the manor that had merged with the surrounding land. She said, "Yes, the Gao family has been practicing medicine for generations. We are not good at farming, so we don't have much land. We only have this ten mu of land. Now that Master has returned it to me, I don't understand these things. If Master wants to plant any Southeast Asian species, please feel free to use them."
Han Youniang said happily, "Does Master want to plant all kinds of new species on this land? Why not buy all the surrounding land at a high price? "
Yang Ling laughed and said, "Silly girl, have you forgotten that Master sold four mu of poor land and was scolded by Old Master Yang? The farmers view land as their lives. Even if the profit is ten times or a hundred times, they still won't sell it. "
Cheng Qiyun smiled faintly and said, "Not only that, even if you buy all the land, it will take a lot of effort to convince those tenant farmers to plant these crops."
Yang Ling was surprised to hear this and said, "What does that have to do with the tenant farmers? If this land is mine, I can plant whatever I want. Would the tenant farmers dare to disagree? Wouldn't they be afraid that I would fire them? "
Han Youniang, Gao Wenxin, and Cheng Qiyun all stared with wide eyes at him in astonishment. After a while, Cheng Qiyun laughed and said, "Daren is tending to the crops in the warm cellar today. You seem to be very knowledgeable, but how come you don't understand common sense? Hahaha, there are no landlords who treat tenant farmers like this. There are landlords who treat long-term workers like this, but they are very rare. "
Yang Ling was baffled. The landlords he knew were all fiendish and malevolent-looking bullies. Why couldn't they make decisions for their own land?
Cheng Qiyun explained, "Daren, these rural landlords, first, are the family businesses passed down from their ancestors. Second, they become officials in other places and make a fortune in business. When they return to their hometown, they buy large amounts of land and become landlords. Third, they are diligent and frugal, smart and studious, good at business. They live frugally all their lives, and when they have some savings, they buy land and gradually become landlords. Fourth, they dominate the market and exploit with high interest rates to become landlords, but they are in the minority.
Speaking of which, these rural landlords have all read the Four Books and the Five Classics, and they worship the Way of Confucius and Mencius. They pity the poor and care for the elderly, help widows and widows, help teachers establish schools, provide disaster relief, repair bridges and roads, and mediate disputes. Most local officials rely on these local landlords, so they value their personal reputation very much.
Very few people would force tenant farmers to submit, and once their notoriety spreads, no tenant farmer will be willing to farm their land. Generally speaking, tenant farmers who farm this year can abandon their land next year and let other landlords cultivate it. If it's a tenant farmer who has his own farming tools and cattle, all the landlords will fight to recruit him. After all, landlords also want to make a profit. They raise their own cattle and prepare their own farming tools, so they have to pay a higher price. "
Gao Wenxin accompanied Han Youniang as she said, "That's right, Daren, especially when it comes to paying the grain rent and silver rent. As long as people pay the rent on time, the landlords have no right to interfere with what they plant. Even if it's the family's workers, the smarter landlords have to treat them well. Otherwise, if they don't put in any effort, they will be the unlucky ones.
My family doesn't have much land, and my father still has to send some meat to the tenant farmers and workers on the first and fifteenth day of the new year. He also has to send some food and clothes during the holidays. Only then can he win over those farmers who are good at farming and those honest workers who are willing to work. If we follow Daren's method, hehe … in a few years, even the good land in our hands will become barren. "
Yang Ling's face turned red, and he was so embarrassed that he couldn't say anything. He didn't know that being a landlord had so many restrictions. He thought that as long as he became a landlord, he could do whatever he wanted, but now …
Yang Ling frowned and stared at the land in a daze. It seemed that if he planted widely in the suburbs of the capital, the scene of a bumper harvest that shocked all the officials would not appear. Even if the landlords were willing to sell the land, how could they force the tenant farmers to plant the land?
This place couldn't compare to the barren land in Shaanxi that was prepared to be planted. The commoners there would first give them a corresponding amount of rations, and if you asked them to plant grass this year, they would agree. But the suburbs of the capital were mostly fertile land, and he was afraid that he would have to pay several times the price to tempt the commoners. But what about the landlords?
Alas, these past few days, on one hand, he had been paying attention to the development of the new gun in the inner factory, and on the other hand, he had been inquiring about the movements of Liu Jin's reform in the capital, so he had neglected these matters. If he had the soldiers open up some of the mountain fields at the beginning of spring, he wondered what the results would be.
Cheng Qiyun's eyes turned and she said, "Daren, with a Bodhisattva's heart and Bodhisattva's methods, it won't be able to rain down on the world. With a Bodhisattva's heart and Asura's methods, it will be able to save the people. Why don't Daren hand this matter over to lowly officer? As long as lowly officer plays a little trick, the land of the Imperial Plantation's Seventh Bureau will be easily obtained. "
Yang Ling turned his head around and looked deeply at her. He saw that on Cheng Qiyun's white jade-like face, two black eyes were staring at him without blinking. The snowflakes fell on her cheeks and turned into water droplets. A few strands of her long hair gently stuck to her cheeks. For a moment he couldn't bear to criticize her harshly, he only sighed and said, "You haven't done anything good to the people, yet you want to do evil first?"
Cheng Qiyun silently lowered her head. She slowed down her pace and leisurely walked for a while. Suddenly she thought of an idea, and the corners of her lips couldn't help revealing a proud smile. She raised her head and was about to call out to Yang Ling when she suddenly closed her mouth. She thought, "I'll discuss this with Big Stowaway Wu first. After the matter is done, I'll tell him, I'll let him see my methods. Even if I don't use tyrannical methods, I am still a female Zhuge!"
She stretched out her pure white jade-like palm, waiting for a snowflake to fall on her palm. Before she felt cold, the snowflake had already turned into water droplets. Cheng Qiyun sighed softly and recited in a low voice:
Yearning is like intoxicated wine, half drunk often found in dreams.
The east wind sends sparkling and translucent snow, when will the plum blossoms fall? "
Han Youniang followed Yang Ling for a while. Realizing that Cheng Qiyun was lagging behind them, she turned her head and called out, "Miss Cheng … ah?"
Her eyes were sharp; although right now the dusk was getting darker, she could still see two fast horses, one in front of the other in the distance, galloping toward them. Han Youniang unconsciously halted her steps. She pulled Yang Ling's sleeve and said, "Xianggong, there are horses coming fast, I am afraid something bad has happened."
Among the six servants, there were soldiers; they had already flashed the podao and gun hidden in their cotton-padded gown. "Who is it?" He shouted, "Rein in the horse and slow down!"
The man in front jumped down from his horse and dashed toward them. "Lowly officer has rushed here from Datong," he said, "I have urgent military information to report. Big Stowaway Wu told me to go down the mountain first to inform Factory Supervisor Daren, he will be here soon. "
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