sovbooks Chapter 13 Sweet Potatoes and Potatoes
Chapter 13 Sweet Potatoes and Potatoes
Although Zhu Yuanzhang showed great patience, Zhu Mu knew that a project that took several years to complete would inevitably shake people's morale if there were no visible results.
He needs a short-term hit to solidify public opinion and create a more relaxed environment for his rice project.
So he redeemed dozens of sweet potatoes of different sizes from the system.
On a newly reclaimed sandy patch of land at the Royal Farm, Jum personally demonstrated how to cut sweet potatoes into chunks and bury them in the soil.
He said to the surrounding agricultural officials:
"This thing is called sweet potato, a foreign variety that I obtained by chance. It is not picky about the soil, can withstand drought, and its quality will be evident in just three months."
At the same time, Zhu Mu did not confine himself to the world of technology.
He knew his identity as the King of Chu and that he could not remain an agricultural expert forever.
With the Ming Dynasty newly established and the world still at peace, he could be ordered to lead an expedition at any time.
Therefore, from the very beginning of the project, he set about cultivating a core team capable of taking over his work.
He selected more than a dozen of the smartest, most reliable, and experienced young officials and farmers from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to form the first Agricultural Affairs Department of the Ming Dynasty.
In the fields, Zhu Mu showed no airs of a prince, teaching them step by step:
"Look, this is how to remove the male parts. You have to gently pinch off the stamens without damaging the pistil."
"All the data must be recorded! Which plant is the male parent, which plant is the female parent, the date of pollination, the weather conditions, all of this must be clearly written on the wooden sign using the numbering method I taught you, and hung next to the rice ears."
"The key to planting sweet potatoes is to make raised beds, which is beneficial for tuber enlargement. When the vines grow to a foot long, remember to turn them over to prevent too many small tubers from growing on the vines, which would affect the yield of the taproot."
He teaches not only techniques, but also methodologies.
He broke down the entire breeding process into individual standardized steps, enabling each member to complete their tasks precisely, just like workers on an assembly line.
He repeatedly emphasized the rigor of the process, telling them:
"Agriculture is also a matter of national importance, and it cannot be taken lightly. What I am teaching you today is not only how to farm, but also how to use the most rigorous attitude to achieve a great undertaking that has never been done before."
"You must ensure that even when I'm not around, you strictly adhere to the rules I've set and meticulously advance the project!"
The officials were deeply impressed by His Highness the King of Chu's foresight and rigor, and their enthusiasm for learning soared to unprecedented heights.
……
Three months later, a conservative censor seized the opportunity to speak, implying that the King of Chu was "neglecting his duties."
Zhu Yuanzhang had already made his plans, and upon hearing this, he merely smiled faintly before leading his civil and military officials in a grand procession to the royal farm.
When thousands of kilograms of sweet potatoes, piled up like small mountains, were dug out from that plot of land of less than one acre, the whole scene completely spiraled out of control.
The civil officials forgot their manners, and the military officers abandoned their composure. Everyone surrounded the sweet potato mountain, their faces filled with shock and ecstasy.
Zhu Yuanzhang held a sweet potato bigger than his head, grinning from ear to ear, his eyes even a little moist.
He seemed to see a scene where people would no longer have to gnaw on tree bark or eat clay.
"A yield of several thousand catties per mu... Heaven bless our Great Ming! Heaven bless our Great Ming!"
An old minister was so moved that tears streamed down his face.
Zhu Mu stood aside, calmly watching all of this.
After everyone had calmed down a bit, he said loudly:
"Father, Your Excellencies, sweet potatoes are merely a temporary measure, a solution to the immediate crisis. As a staple food, they are ultimately inferior to rice."
"And this rice paddy behind me, though seemingly ordinary at this moment, will, five years from now, bring the Ming Dynasty true national prosperity and strength, the foundation for a golden age that can last for a hundred years!"
At this moment, no one questioned it anymore.
Everyone looked at Zhu Mu and that unremarkable rice paddy with an almost reverent gaze.
Zhu Yuanzhang immediately issued an edict to establish the "Imperial Agricultural Affairs Bureau of the Ming Dynasty," with Prince Chu, Zhu Mu, in charge, and appointed several key officials as his deputies.
He granted Zhu Mu the highest authority:
"Mu'er, I've given you the very best in terms of personnel, finances, and resources for your Agricultural Affairs Bureau! Tell me, what else do you need?"
Zhu Mu bowed deeply, his eyes resolute:
"Father, I have no other wish. I only hope that one day, if war breaks out again and I need to don my armor and go to war, my colleagues in the Department of Agriculture will continue to cultivate this field of hope."
His words moved everyone present.
This King of Chu, who had achieved great military exploits, not only thought about expanding his territory, but also cared about the livelihood of his people.
He had already made the most comprehensive preparations for the future of the country.
……
The success of the sweet potato gave Zhu Mu and his "Royal Agricultural Affairs Bureau" a superior position in the court.
No one dared to criticize His Highness the King of Chu for "neglecting his duties" anymore; instead, they all regarded him as a lucky star descended to earth.
While the iron was hot, Zhu Mu redeemed another high-yield crop from the system—
potato.
He adopted the same model used to promote sweet potatoes, first planting them on the Royal Farm and then systematically training officials from the Agricultural Department.
The introduction of potatoes further strengthened the Ming Dynasty's confidence in dealing with the famine.
Zhu Yuanzhang, seeing that those unassuming clods of earth yielded an astonishing amount of produce, couldn't stop smiling. In front of his officials, he repeatedly remarked:
"Our son is not only our Hegemon-King of Chu, but also the Shennong of our Great Ming!"
Time flew by, and it was spring of the second year of the Hongwu reign.
After the start of spring, battle reports poured into Yingtian Prefecture like snowflakes.
The remnants of the Northern Yuan forces did not flee far away. Under the organization of Ayushiridara, the son of Emperor Shun of Yuan, they repeatedly harassed the area around Beiping and even amassed a large army, intending to counterattack and reclaim the former capital.
Beiping, as the bridgehead for the newly established Ming Dynasty to resist the Mongol forces, had an undeniable strategic importance and could not be lost!
The atmosphere inside the Fengtian Hall was solemn.
The Minister of War presented the battle report, his voice heavy:
"Your Majesty, Chang Yuchun reports that the main force of the Northern Yuan, numbering about 50,000 cavalry, led by the Yuan general Kökö Temür (Wang Baobao), is approaching Beiping."
"Although Chang Yuchun's troops are sufficient to defend the city, if he wants to take the initiative to attack and completely defeat the enemy's main force, he still needs an elite cavalry force as a mobile force to penetrate from the flanks in order to achieve a complete victory."
Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright on the dragon throne, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over the generals below.
"My lords, who is qualified to lead the troops to relieve Beiping?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Wenzhong, the Left Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Commandant's Office, stepped forward, his voice booming like a bell:
"Your Majesty, I am willing to go! I will certainly join forces with General Chang to present the head of Kökö Temür before Your Majesty!"
Li Wenzhong was Zhu Yuanzhang's nephew. He was brave and skilled in battle, and all the generals had no objection to him leading the troops.
However, Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze turned to Zhu Mu in the queue.
At this moment, an imperial censor stepped forward and reported:
"Your Majesty, Li Wenzhong is a pillar of the nation, and we have no objection to him being put in command."
"However, Beiping is a strategically important military location, and the enemy is the elite Yuan army under Kökö Temür. This battle is extremely dangerous and no small matter. Although His Highness Prince Chu has made contributions in Hongdu, he is still young and has not been on the battlefield for a long time."
"To be on the safe side, could His Highness the Prince of Chu remain in the capital to continue overseeing agricultural affairs and ensuring the stability of the nation?"
These words, though seemingly mature and prudent, also highlighted the concerns of many.
The King of Chu was a war god, but that was ultimately about defending the city.
This time, we must take the initiative and confront Wang Baobao, the most skilled general in Mongolia.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Mu remained calm and did not speak.
He knew that any attempt to defend himself at this moment would be futile; what he needed was his father's trust.