I run a training class in Shu Han

Chapter 106 New Agriculture Shocks Meng Huo

Meng Huo was taken to the Prime Minister's residence.

He always believed that the law that setting fire to a mountain would result in imprisonment was a trap deliberately set by Liu Shan to prevent him from returning to Nanzhong.

Therefore, he showed no remorse whatsoever, and instead began to curse the court and Liu Shan.

Zhang Yi listened the whole way, his expression solemn, without saying a word.

He also served as the Chief Administrator of Yizhou, which was equivalent to the Deputy Governor of Yizhou.

Such a terrible incident happening under his rule is truly giving him a headache.

Zhang Yi's headache wasn't because Meng Huo's actions would affect his political performance this year, but rather because he was worried about how to handle the matter.

As the chief secretary of the Prime Minister's office, he knew that Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang had adopted a strategy of winning hearts and minds against this barbarian king, so that he would no longer rebel and cause trouble, thus further stabilizing the southern region.

But who could have predicted that Meng Huo would make a huge mistake as soon as he arrived, setting the mountain on fire in full view of everyone, thus securing his lifelong imprisonment.

After arriving at the Prime Minister's residence, the group learned that Zhuge Liang was not there at the moment, but had gone to the palace to see Liu Shan.

Zhang Yi immediately understood that Zhuge Liang was intentionally avoiding meeting him, with the aim of letting him handle the matter entirely and make amends for his mistakes.

"Someone, bring some tea!"

Zhang Yi led Meng Huo to a side hall, intending to communicate with him.

Meng Huo didn't buy it, turning his head coldly and saying, "Lord Zhang, now that I'm a prisoner, you can kill me or torture me as you please. But if you want to tarnish my reputation, forget it!"

Zhang Yi sighed and said calmly, "General Meng, may I ask you a question?"

Meng Huo snorted, neither agreeing nor refusing.

"There's a small booklet in the general's residence. Has the general noticed it?"

Without a second thought, Meng Huo replied, "I have never seen it before."

"Could an official have reminded the general to carefully review this document?"

Meng Huo thought for a moment, his eyes flickering, and said, "I can't remember."

At this moment, hot tea was served, and Zhang Yi made a "please" gesture, and the two sat down together.

"His Majesty's decision to have the general farm the land was not intended to make things difficult; in fact, it had a deeper meaning."

Meng Huo sneered, "Giving me a piece of land that can't grow any grain? Isn't that deliberately making things difficult for me? In my opinion, your emperor just wants to use this as an excuse to trap me in Chengdu forever."

"Just like Gao Ding and Zhu Bao, they were eventually forced to rebel, and then the court had a reason to kill me."

Meng Huo spoke in a grand and righteous tone, but Zhang Yi calmly retorted, "Gao Ding and Zhu Bao murdered court officials, raised troops in rebellion, and harassed local people; any one of these actions would be enough to get them beheaded."

"However, His Majesty's grace is boundless. Not only did he not order their execution, but he also allowed them to remain in Chengdu and bestowed upon them high-ranking positions and generous salaries. But these two men, instead of repenting, surrendered and then rebelled again, which led to their deaths."

"Isn't this just reaping what they sowed?"

Zhang Yi's words were reasonable and well-founded, leaving Meng Huo speechless. He could only steer the conversation back to the land.

"Then I shall ask, what is the purpose of this brat emperor taking a piece of land that cannot grow crops?"

Zhang Yi continued patiently, "General, the land you are in today is indeed barren, but if you cultivate it properly, the grain yield will not be less than that of fertile land."

Upon hearing this, Meng Huo snorted coldly and said, "Lord Zhang, I am a rough man with little education, so don't try to fool me. Everyone knows that this barren land cannot possibly produce any crops."

"General, if you don't believe me, I will take you to the 'Imperial Field' tomorrow to see how the land can now grow crops, and even more than before."

Meng Huo did not know what "Yutian" was, but he firmly believed that barren land could not grow crops.

It's even more impossible for the output to be higher than before.

"Alright, then take me to see this 'Royal Field' tomorrow. I want to see what tricks your little emperor is up to."

"Goodbye!"

Meng Huo got up to leave, but Zhang Yi suddenly called him back.

"General!"

"What, you've changed your mind?"

Zhang Yi cupped his hands towards Meng Huo and said, "General, if you have some free time after you return, please take a look at the booklet that His Majesty prepared for you..."

"Of course I'll watch it..."

Meng Huo made a casual remark, then picked up the teacup and gulped it down in one go.

"What kind of tea is this? It's so bitter. You can't even brew tea properly, and you want to teach me how to farm?"

After muttering a few words, Meng Huo strode away from the Prime Minister's residence.

Upon returning to his residence, several guards immediately surrounded him.

"Your Majesty, did those court officials give you any trouble?"

When they heard that arson would land them in jail for life, they were terrified.

If I really have to spend my whole life in prison, then I'll never be able to go back to my hometown.

Meng De said smugly, "I only burned down a small hill of theirs. Did they dare to put me in jail? And here I am, unharmed and back?"

The guard secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

"Your Majesty, I just inquired and the court indeed forbids burning land for cultivation. If one sets fire to land without authorization, one will be imprisoned for life."

"Oh dear, how can they compare to our king? Even if we burned down a small hill, or even the whole mountain, they would still obediently let us leave."

Meng Huo lay on the couch, his mind filled with the events of the day and Zhang Yi's words.

"Hey, I'm asking you, how do the Han people farm if they don't burn down the forests?"

These guards, all of whom had farmed before, immediately chimed in, "Your Majesty, Han people farm on thick soil. But every year, these fields require manual labor to loosen and cultivate before sowing in the spring. They also need irrigation, fertilization, and weeding throughout the year—it's incredibly troublesome."

Upon hearing this, Meng Huo laughed and said, "Then wouldn't this person be tied to the land for a year, unable to do anything?"

"That's right. I've heard that when the Han people go to war, the fields are abandoned and no one cultivates them."

"What about their grain production?"

"I don't know about the younger one. But I've heard that in years with good weather, there's always a bumper harvest."

"Isn't that obvious? It would be strange if there wasn't a good harvest during such a good season."

Meng Huo turned over, and his eyes fell on a few books on the table in the room.

This must be the pamphlet Zhang Yi was referring to?

"Hey you guys, do you see the books on the table?"

The guards shook their heads.

If Meng Huo hadn't reminded them, they wouldn't have noticed at all.

"Your Majesty, we men cannot read, so this book is useless to us."

Meng Huo intended to flip through it, but thinking about what had happened today, he felt inexplicably annoyed.

If you tell me to look, then I have to look.

I'm not going to watch it!

Meng Huo rolled over, turned his back, and lay down on the couch, falling fast asleep.

Another day passed, and Meng Huo was shaken awake from his sleep.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Meng Huo squinted and asked lazily, "What is it?"

"Lord Zhang has sent word that in half an hour, he will take the King to visit some 'Royal Field'."

Meng Huo remembered his agreement with Zhang Yi from yesterday, groggily got up, and mumbled, "I know."

"Lord Zhang also asked if the general had seen the pamphlets in the room?"

"I saw it, I saw it. That scholar is so annoying!"

After Meng Huo got up and stretched his limbs a little, a minor official came to bring him food.

The food was exactly the same as yesterday.

Although Meng Huo found the wheat porridge hard to swallow, he was so hungry that he had no choice but to force himself to eat it despite the pain.

But seeing his personal guards enjoying their meal, he couldn't help but feel a little disdainful.

They all looked like they'd never eaten anything good before.

When the appointed time arrived, Zhang Yi sent someone to deliver a message.

Meng Huo was about to leave with his personal guards when he remembered the booklet that Zhang Yi had mentioned many times. After hesitating for a moment, he went back into the house, put the book in his pocket, and then went with the minor official to see Zhang Yi.

Meng Huo arrived at a field outside the city, where Zhang Yi and several officials had been waiting for him for a long time.

"General!" Zhang Yi said, bowing.

Meng Huo, still haughty, said, "Lord Zhang, I promised you I would come. Where is this 'Yutian'?"

"Right behind me."

Zhang Yi pointed to a large field behind him and said.

Looking around, Meng Huo saw that the fields in front of him covered nearly a hundred acres and were neatly divided into several small plots.

Each small plot of land has a wooden sign next to it, and the scenery inside the plot is different.

Meng Huo couldn't see anything special about it and let out a sneer.

"This 'Royal Field' is, after all, imperial land. How can it be so petty?"

According to the official rank standards of the Han Dynasty, the lowest-ranking official in the court could own 15 qing of fertile land, which is equivalent to 750 mu in modern times, much larger than the imperial land of today.

Zhang Yi replied calmly, "His Majesty has decreed that the 'Imperial Fields' are experimental fields, intended for agricultural research, not for planting. Therefore, their size must be reasonable, and they cannot be used to seize land from the common people."

Upon hearing this, Meng Huo blushed and hummed a few times, saying, "Then I'll trouble Lord Zhang to show this general around."

Zhang Yi led Meng Huo, along with several officials and personal guards, along the ridges of the fields.

At first, Meng Huo only thought that the land was relatively flat, but upon closer inspection, he found that the land in front of him was as flat as a mirror, with crisscrossing ditches and straight field ridges.

It seemed as if the distance between each row had been measured with a ruler.

Zhang Yi pointed to the sign on the first field and said, "General, please look, this is a wheat field."

Seeing that the wheat in the field had grown to half its height and was showing signs of turning green again, Meng Huo asked in surprise, "When was this wheat planted? How could it be planted in the dead of winter?"

"This is winter wheat, planted in mid-to-late October, and it will be ready for harvest in May or June this year."

Wheat is also grown in the south. Although Meng Huo did not understand this, his personal guards did.

But they dared not say it, for fear of humiliating Meng Huo.

Zhang Yi continued with a smile, "After the wheat harvest, we immediately rush to harvest more rice and then plant a season's worth. This process is repeated, so a single field can yield two seasons' worth of grain in a year."

When they heard that wheat and rice were to be grown in rotation, the soldiers could no longer contain themselves.

Two harvests a year? That's no joke.

If that were really possible, we could have at least several months' worth of extra food, which is far more precious than gold or silver!

Seeing the shocked expressions on his men's faces, Meng Huo tilted his head and asked in a low voice, "Is this... very powerful?"

"Your Majesty, the land in the south rests after one season of wheat planting, waiting to be planted again next year. If we could also plant a season of rice during this time, it would be equivalent to an extra year's harvest!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Huo's face stiffened, realizing for the first time his own ignorance.

Zhang Yi continued to lead Meng Huo to the second field, where the wooden sign still read "Wheat".

But nothing is planted in this field; only the turned soil remains, dark and exuding the scent of earth.

Meng Huo asked in surprise, "It's a wheat field too, so why are there no wheat seedlings here?"

"This is land fallow in winter," Zhang Yi said with a smile. "After harvesting wheat last year, we planted a crop of beans."

"Beans?" Meng Huo frowned. "Beans are not like wheat; wouldn't it be a waste to plant them?"

"It's worth it."

Zhang Yi squatted down, rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a handful of soil, and handed it to Meng Huo.

"General, smell it."

Meng Huo leaned closer and took a sniff.

There was a faint bean-like smell in the soil, but other than that, there was nothing special about it.

Zhang Yi grabbed another handful of soil that had never been planted with beans and displayed the two handfuls of soil to Meng Huo.

Two handfuls of soil, one dark black and the other light yellow.

The deep black one felt soft and smooth in my hand.

The light yellow one was hard and could crumble into powder with a single pinch.

"The soil becomes fertile after beans have been planted," Zhang Yi said. "This is called 'green manure.' There are invisible insects on the roots of beans that can turn the air from the sky into fertilizer in the soil. Planting beans for one season can enrich the soil, and next year when wheat is planted, the harvest can be 30% higher."

What, 30%?

Meng Huo's personal guards were all dumbfounded, staring at the three fingers they had extended.

Not only can grain production be increased, but more importantly, growing beans can fertilize the soil.

In the southern part of the country, after the forests are burned, crops can be grown for several years. However, as the soil fertility decreases, the annual crop yield becomes less and less until the soil fertility is exhausted, at which point other places are sought.

This is similar to the nomadic peoples of the north.

If the land in the south could be like the land before us, yielding two harvests a year and planting beans to restore soil fertility, would they still need to steal other people's food?

Next, Zhang Yi showed him several plots of land that were being cultivated.

Every field is different.

Some people bury weeds in the soil as fertilizer, while others use discarded bean stalks.

When Meng Huo saw that there were so many ways to cultivate the land, he couldn't help but marvel at the profound wisdom of the Han people in farming.

"Lord Zhang, can this method also be used to restore the fertility of the wasteland we cleared yesterday?"

Zhang Yi smiled and nodded, saying, "Of course. However, those wastelands are inherently barren, so in addition to these methods, organic fertilizer must also be applied when planting."

Organic fertilizer?

Meng Huo found the name somewhat familiar, but couldn't quite place where he had heard it.

Zhang Yi pointed to a pile of dark, grimy soil in the corner of the field and said, "General, please look, this is organic fertilizer."

As Meng Huo approached, he smelled a fishy smell with damp earth and a faint sour smell.

The soldiers curiously grabbed a handful; the smell was strange, but not pungent.

"This is fermented manure made from human and animal excrement. It is more effective and safer than directly applying manure."

vomit!

Upon hearing that it was human and animal excrement, the guards felt a wave of nausea and immediately withdrew their hands.

Meng only realized belatedly that the organic fertilizer was made from human and animal excrement.

That day outside Chengdu, he, Guan Xing, and Zhang Bao saw farmers piling up excrement, which was not some kind of witchcraft.

Finally, Zhang Yi led Meng Huo on a tour of the farm tools.

"General, please look, these are all newly improved agricultural tools by the imperial court, which can save more labor."

Meng Huo stared at these novel farming tools, standing there for a long time without saying a word.

On the contrary, his personal guards began to be eager to try.

Whether it's a hoe or a curved plow, both are highly effective for clearing and turning over land.

"But plowing always requires someone to pull it, which is quite strenuous," one of the guards complained.

Zhang Yi picked up the conversation, saying, "Young man, the problem you're worried about no longer exists. In the past, people plowed the fields, but now the imperial court has decreed that oxen can be rented for plowing."

Upon hearing this, the guards cheered and danced with joy.

Seeing his personal guards frolicking in the fields, Meng Huo's heart sank even further.

In less than half an hour, what he saw and heard in this small space far exceeded his expectations.

Meng Huo touched his chest and discovered the booklet hidden in his bosom.

Meng Huo quickly turned around, took out the booklet, and secretly glanced at it. He was immediately struck dumb, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.

The booklet cover prominently displays several large characters.

"Strategies for Agricultural Transformation in Southern China"