jdhmnovel Chapter 226 The Mudslide of the Agricultural World
Chapter 226 The Mudslide of the Agricultural World
Emperor Zhu finally understood the same anxiety Yang Shaofeng felt about the severe manpower shortage.
This situation is like someone setting out a whole table of dragon liver and phoenix marrow, peaches of immortality and wine in front of you, with all sorts of fairy maidens dancing around you. You're about to pounce on them and feast, but damn it, you're blocked by a layer of glass!
In comparison, the lack of officials in the Ming Dynasty had never caused Emperor Zhu such anxiety and distress.
After pondering for a while with an uncertain expression, Emperor Zhu could not suppress his desire for the harvester and asked Shan Anren, the Minister of Works, "If your Ministry of Works and the Craftsmen's Office were to focus all their efforts on producing this harvester, how many could you manufacture in a month? If you distributed this machine to all the prefectures and counties in the country and let them imitate it themselves, how many could they produce in a month?"
After a moment's consideration, Shan Anren replied, "Your Excellency, if the Ministry of Works and the Craftsmen's Camps work at full capacity, they can produce over a hundred harvesters each month. However, construction and production in other areas will have to be halted. As for distributing them to various prefectures and counties for local imitation... I'm afraid each county can only produce three to five machines a month, at most no more than ten. With over a thousand counties across the country, perhaps ten thousand machines could be produced?"
Emperor Zhu was very dissatisfied with this answer.
The prerequisite for local prefectures and counties to imitate this technology was that the Ministry of Works and the Craftsmen's Office had to first produce over a thousand harvesters before they could be evenly distributed to the various prefectures and counties.
According to the figures given by Shan Anren, even if the Ministry of Works and the Artisan Corps worked their hardest, it would still take about ten months to produce more than a thousand harvesters and then distribute them to various prefectures and counties.
If we calculate based on the fact that each county can replicate ten units per month, then with more than a thousand prefectures and counties combined, that would only amount to about ten thousand units per month. Wouldn't it take about two hundred months, or roughly twenty years, to complete the shortfall of two million units?
Twenty years... If we could deploy harvesters earlier, how much grain could we have accumulated in those twenty years?
Feeling increasingly frustrated, Emperor Zhu turned his gaze to Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen and asked, "Brother Shanchang, Mr. Qingtian, do you have any good ideas on how to produce two million harvesters within a year... no, within five years?"
Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen were immediately dumbfounded.
Do you want to hear what you're saying?
You come and explain to me what you mean by "two million units in five years".
As Shan Anren said, if the Ministry of Works and the Craftsmen's Camp wanted to produce about 100 harvesters a month, they would have to mobilize craftsmen from other places, and many projects would be affected as a result. Now you say you want to produce two million harvesters in five years?
This is absolutely outrageous!
While cursing inwardly, Li Shanchang bowed to Emperor Zhu and said, "Your Majesty, I am foolish and cannot think of any good solution."
Liu Bowen was extremely straightforward, bowing to Emperor Zhu and saying, "Your subject is incompetent and truly cannot do it."
Upon hearing this answer, which he had expected, Emperor Zhu couldn't help but sigh again and beckoned Zhu Biao over.
Emperor Zhu directly ordered, "Send Wang Qiong to Ningyang County and tell that scoundrel that we want to produce two million harvesters within five years. If he dares to agree, we will give him the money and the manpower he needs. If he doesn't dare to agree, then we will have to make him think of a way for us."
Zhu Biao was dumbfounded and looked at the Emperor Zhu, asking, "Five years? Two million harvesters?"
Good heavens, 400,000 harvesters a year, that's about 30,000 to 40,000 harvesters a month, that's more than 1,000 harvesters a day on average! You've given my cheap brother-in-law an impossible task!
Just as Zhu Biao was secretly grumbling to himself, Emperor Zhu frowned and nodded, saying, "Yes, five years, two million harvesters. We know this request is a bit difficult, but as long as he dares to agree, we'll give him whatever he wants. If he can get it done within five years, we'll also give him a title. You can have Wang Qiong ask him if he's willing to do it."
After a slight pause, Emperor Zhu added, "By the way, didn't he previously request credit for those artisans in his memorial? Let's grant his request. However, giving only ten taels of silver and exempting them from taxes for thirty years is too stingy. Let's give each of those artisans one hundred taels of silver and exempt them from taxes for fifty years!"
Zhu Biao agreed, then asked, "What if he demands craftsmen?"
Emperor Zhu said, “Give it to him—as long as it doesn’t affect the Northern Expedition plan, we’ll send him as many craftsmen as he needs. If the capital doesn’t have enough, we’ll requisition them from other places. All supplies and provisions will be allocated to him from the national treasury. We just need to see two million harvesters within five years.”
After a slight pause, Emperor Zhu continued, "Have Wang Qiong send him two catties of Xiaolongtuan. Chang Sheng and Chang Mao stole it from Chang Heitan. I reckon he'll finish it soon."
……
When Wang Qiong arrived in Ningyang County by fast horse, Magistrate Yang was lying on a recliner under the shade of a tree, watching the people of Liumiao Village work.
Helpless, Magistrate Yang once again wanted to go to the fields to help with some farm work, but Liu Sanshier and the other villagers of Liumiao Village once again refused his idea.
After all, Magistrate Yang had secretly gone to work in the fields before, but when he was weeding, he could also pull up wheat seedlings and when he was hoeing, he could also cut sorghum seedlings. He was like a mudslide in the agricultural world. Who would dare to let him go to work in the fields?
The people of the eight communities and sixteen neighborhoods in Ningyang County have now reached a consensus: the old man can do anything, but he cannot be allowed to farm. If he appears in the fields, everyone must prepare tea sets and a reclining chair for him immediately. No matter what, the old man must not be given the opportunity to work in the fields.
Helpless, Magistrate Yang could only lie on his recliner like a salted fish every day, watching the people work, while he enjoyed the treatment of being fanned by a maid and drinking the few remaining dumplings.
In fact, Magistrate Yang himself was also puzzled.
I have good eyesight, I'm not stupid, and I'm good with my hands, so why can't I tell the difference between wheat seedlings and weeds?
No, is the problem with the eyes, the brain, or the hands?
Magistrate Yang couldn't understand it no matter how hard he tried.
Even after the yamen runners left behind at the county office brought Wang Qiong to the edge of Liu Miao Village, Magistrate Yang still couldn't figure it out.
Then, Magistrate Yang heard Wang Qiong relay Emperor Zhu's demands.
Two million harvesters within five years.
If it can be done, I'll give you money or manpower.
Magistrate Yang chuckled and looked at Wang Qiong, asking, "Five years, two million harvesters? Brother Wang, do I look like a harvester?"