PFC Chapter 143 The World Is Actually Very Big
Chapter 143 The World Is Actually Very Big
Chapter 143 The World Is Actually Very Big
Chapter 142 Chen Ying and Hui merchants jointly established schools and launched bilateral economic cooperation. They not only exchanged technology but also shared resources. Originally enemies who fought to the death became friends, which puzzled Emperor Tianqi. Emperor Tianqi summoned Chen Ying, hoping that Chen Ying could enlighten him.
The Tianqi Emperor leaned back in his throne, his brow furrowed, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest. Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, sat below him, also looking perplexed. Chen Ying stood in the center of the hall, his expression calm and composed.
"Boying, I can't understand it."
The Tianqi Emperor asked in bewilderment, "Ninety-nine percent of the Ming Dynasty's military garrisons struggle to even feed themselves. Yet your Nurgan Regional Military Commission, in such a desolate place, manages to support ten times the population and fight tough battles. What method did you use?"
Chen Ying bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have no special method; I simply act according to local conditions and within my capabilities."
"Adapt to local conditions?"
The Tianqi Emperor became interested and asked excitedly, "How can we adapt to local conditions?"
Chen Ying thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, do you know that Nurgan Commandery is not actually a desolate wasteland? It has the largest plain in the Ming Dynasty, and the black soil there is so fertile that you could squeeze oil out of it, and even a chopstick stuck in it would sprout. The same seeds, planted in the red soil of Jiangnan, yield two shi per mu, but planted in the black soil of Nurgan, they can yield three or even four shi. This is not my skill, but a gift from Heaven."
The Tianqi Emperor said thoughtfully, "But the Ming Dynasty has no black soil."
Chen Ying nodded and said, "Besides Nurgan, the only other way is to try to increase production."
Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, couldn't help but ask, "Increase production? How easy is that? Our ancestors couldn't do it for thousands of years, how can you?"
Chen Ying smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it's not that our ancestors couldn't do it, it's that they've always been doing it. Farming is nothing more than land, planting, and..."
Fertilizer, water, and four other things. If the soil is bad, it can be improved; if the crop is poor, new varieties can be bred; if there's insufficient fertilizer, compost can be made; if there's insufficient water, water can be diverted. Improving each one a little bit, combined, makes a big difference.
The Tianqi Emperor's eyes lit up: "Tell me more specifically."
Chen Ying walked to the map hanging in the hall and pointed to the capital region: "Your Majesty, I have conducted an experiment in Shahewei. On the same land, using the old method, one mu yielded 1.2 shi of wheat; using my method, with deep plowing, crop rotation, sufficient base fertilizer, and timely irrigation, one mu could yield 1.8 shi, which is 6 dou more."
"Six Dou!"
The Tianqi Emperor exclaimed in shock, "This—is too—!"
"That's not all," Chen Ying continued, "I also had new seeds imported from overseas, such as rice, which is drought-resistant..."
"It matures early and has a high yield; I even had people test the new grain."
Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, was dumbfounded: "Why didn't anyone tell me about these methods?"
Chen Ying smiled wryly: "Your Majesty, it's not that no one told you, it's that no one believed me. When I was promoting the new farming methods in Shahewei, those old farmers all said I was just messing around. But when they saw the yield double, they all rushed to learn it."
The Tianqi Emperor suddenly asked, "Minister Chen, how much silver will all of this cost?"
Chen Ying thought for a moment: "Promoting the new farming methods requires buying seeds, farming tools, repairing irrigation systems, and hiring agricultural instructors. Each mu (unit of land area) will require at least three or four qian (unit of currency) of silver, but that investment can yield an extra five or six dou (unit of dry measure) of grain each year. Is it worth it?"
The Tianqi Emperor remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Worth it."
Chen Ying then said, "Your Majesty, there is something else I would like to tell you."
"explain."
"Your Majesty, the Commander of the Great Ning Commandery, has implemented a new system: loans for buying land and houses!"
The Tianqi Emperor was taken aback: "Buy land with a loan?"
"right."
Chen Ying explained, "Previously, the military farmland in the garrisons was cultivated by everyone together. The harvest was sold to the court, and the remainder was divided among everyone. No one was willing to put in the effort, regardless of how much they worked. I've loaned out the military farmland to individual households, setting a fixed annual repayment amount. The remainder is theirs. Within ten years, the land will become their private property. With this arrangement, who would dare to slack off?"
Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, frowned and said, "Isn't this just dividing up the imperial land into private hands?"
Chen Ying shook his head: "The land within the territory of Nurgan Regional Military Commission has been abandoned for over a hundred years. As long as the military households cultivate it, they will earn more if they cultivate it well, and they will suffer losses if they cultivate it poorly. This is called 'more work, more gain'."
After listening to Chen Ying's words, the Tianqi Emperor remained silent for a moment. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, then put it down, his gaze sweeping over Chen Ying's face several times, as if he were considering something.
"Minister Chen, you just mentioned that you would take out a loan to buy land, and that the land would revert to the military households after ten years. I have a concern about this."
Chen Ying bowed: "Your Majesty, please speak."
"Land is limited."
The Tianqi Emperor stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to the territory of the Da Ning Military Command: "You currently have five garrisons under your command. With the relocation of nine garrisons from Shuntian Prefecture, that makes fourteen garrisons, and possibly more in the future. Each person will be allocated several dozen mu of land. In ten years, all this land will be distributed. What will happen to the new military households then? What will happen to their descendants? We can't let them starve, can we?"
Chen Ying smiled: "Your Majesty is wise. I have thought about this matter."
"Oh?" The Tianqi Emperor turned around. "Tell me about it."
Chen Ying walked to the map and drew a large circle in the blank space east and north of Nurgan Regional Military Commission: "Your Majesty, this is the Outer Khingan Mountains; this is the Sea of Okhotsk; this is Sakhalin Island. Further north are vast ice fields, sparsely populated. But to the east and south, there are still large tracts of unclaimed land."
He took out a thick scroll of map from his sleeve and slowly unrolled it on the table. It was a huge map of all countries, several times larger than the traditional maps of the Ming Dynasty, densely marked with mountains, rivers, oceans, and countries. The Tianqi Emperor and Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, came closer, and after just one glance, they gasped in astonishment.
"This—this is—the World Map?"
The Tianqi Emperor's voice trembled slightly.
"Your Majesty, this is the Map of the World." Chen Ying pointed to the location of the Ming Dynasty on the map. "Your Majesty, please look, this is our Great Ming."
To the east lay Japan and Ryukyu; to the southeast, Luzon, Brunei, and Java; further south lay what the Portuguese called the "New World," several times larger than the Ming Dynasty. To the west were Tibet, Ü-Tsang, and India; further west was Europe, the homeland of the Portuguese, English, and Dutch. And further west lay an even more expansive New World.
The Tianqi Emperor's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, unable to utter a word for a long while. Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, was even more dumbfounded, his finger tracing patterns on the map as he muttered, "This—this world, is it really this big?"
Chen Ying nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I used to think that the Ming Dynasty was a celestial empire, vast and rich in resources, unparalleled in the world. But later, after seeing the Portuguese nautical charts and sending people to conduct on-site surveys in Liaodong and Nurgan, I realized that although the Ming Dynasty is not small, it is only a small corner of the world. Your Majesty, please look, the land allocated to military households in the Daning and Nurgan Regional Military Commands is only a small piece. To the north and east, there are vast areas of black soil, primeval forests, grasslands, and mineral deposits, all uncultivated."
The area just south of the Outer Khingan Mountains, north of the Heilongjiang River, and east of the Ussuri River is larger than the current territory of the Ming Dynasty.
The Tianqi Emperor gasped, "Even larger than the Ming Dynasty?"
"Only big, never small."
Chen Ying continued, "I have sent people to conduct a rough survey. The land there is fertile, with numerous rivers, making it suitable for farming. However, the climate is cold, and only one crop can be grown per year. Yet, the yield of that one crop is higher than that of two crops in Jiangnan. If it were developed, feeding tens of millions of people would not be a problem. Moreover, there is also Southeast Asia. Places like Luzon, Brunei, and Java can yield three harvests a year, with rice growing everywhere. It's just that they are occupied by the Portuguese, and we can't get involved for the time being. But as long as we have enough ships and powerful cannons, we may be able to take them back in the future."
The Tianqi Emperor fell silent. He stared at the map of the world, his gaze shifting from the Ming Dynasty to the South Seas, from the South Seas to the New World, and then back to the Ming Dynasty. After a long while, he let out a long breath, his voice hoarse: "I—I never knew the world was so vast."
Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, suddenly asked, "Lord Chen, are there any people in these places you mentioned?"
Chen Ying nodded: "There are people. But most of them are natives, still uncivilized. The Portuguese, English, and Dutch have already occupied a portion of it, built trading posts and castles, and plundered countless gold, silver, and spices. Our Great Ming is still stuck in its own territory."
The Tianqi Emperor's face darkened: "By what right do those barbarians occupy this land?"
Chen Ying smiled wryly: "It's all thanks to their superior ships and cannons. Their ships can sail on the ocean for months; their cannons can fire three miles away. Our Ming ships struggle even to go out to fish; our cannons have a range of less than half that of theirs."
The Tianqi Emperor clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white.
Chen Ying continued, "Your Majesty, my training of troops, manufacturing of cannons, establishment of schools, and land reclamation in Daning are not for the sake of competing with the Jurchens for short-term gains, but so that one day, the Ming Dynasty can also step out of this land and see the outside world. The outside world is vast, far beyond our imagination. Its land, minerals, and wealth are enough for the Ming Dynasty to use for hundreds or even thousands of years. Ten years later, when the land in Daning has been distributed, I will lead the military households to the Outer Khingan Mountains; when the land in the Outer Khingan Mountains has been distributed, we will go to Sakhalin Island; when the land in Sakhalin Island has been distributed, we will go to Southeast Asia; when the land in Southeast Asia has been distributed, we will go to the New World. As long as the Ming Dynasty's swords and spears are sharp enough and its ships and cannons are strong enough, all the land in the world will belong to the Ming Dynasty."
The Tianqi Emperor abruptly stood up, his eyes gleaming: "Minister Chen, are you saying that my descendants will one day be able to cross the ocean like the Portuguese and seize those unclaimed lands?"
Chen Ying bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise. As long as Your Majesty supports me, I am willing to be the vanguard of the Ming Dynasty."
The Tianqi Emperor laughed heartily, his laughter echoing through the hall. Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, looked at Chen Ying, his eyes filled with complex emotions: admiration, shock, and a hint of inexplicable apprehension.
"Good!" Emperor Tianqi slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Minister Chen, I will give you ten years to manage Da Ning and Nurgan well."
Ten years from now, I want to see your fleet set sail!
Chen Ying bowed deeply: "Your subject obeys the decree."
When Chen Ying emerged from the Qianqing Palace, dusk was approaching. Standing outside the palace gates, he took a deep breath, the image of the world map still swirling in his mind. Su Mei approached him and whispered, "My lord, what did His Majesty say?"
"His Majesty said he'll give us ten years." Chen Ying got into the carriage, leaned back in his chair, and a smile appeared on his lips. "Actually, it won't take ten years. At most, we can set sail in two years."
Su Mei's eyes lit up: "Then our map—"
"Keep drawing." Chen Ying closed his eyes to rest. "Send people to Macau, Guangzhou, and Fujian to find merchants and sailors who have been to Southeast Asia and record their observations. Also, tell Xu Guangqi to help buy some of the latest nautical charts from Europeans. Money is not a problem."
The carriage slowly drove away from the palace. Chen Ying did not return to the Chen residence, but went straight to the Huizhou Merchants' Association.
Wang Wende and Cheng Jiashi were having tea in the back room when they heard that Chen Ying had arrived, so they quickly came out to greet him. After not seeing each other for a few days, both of them looked much better, and the gloom between their brows had largely dissipated. Cheng Jiashi, in particular, seemed to have become several years younger since Chengji and Chen Ying reached a cooperation agreement.
"Lord Chen, it's so late, is there something urgent?" Wang Wende welcomed Chen Ying into the back room and personally served him tea.
Chen Ying took the teacup, took a sip, and smiled, "It's not urgent, it's good news. I just came from the palace, and His Majesty was very interested in our Lanxiang Academy, Wei Academy, and the new agricultural methods. Especially that map of the world, His Majesty was stunned for a long time after looking at it."
Wang Wende and Cheng Jiashi exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. Cheng Jiashi cautiously asked, "Your Majesty—you have no objections?"
"Objection?" Chen Ying laughed. "His Majesty said he would give me ten years to manage Da Ning and Nurgan well. After ten years, he wants to see our fleet set sail."
Wang Wende's hands trembled with excitement: "So, His Majesty supports us?"
"I support you." Chen Ying put down his teacup. "However, His Majesty also said that we must first achieve results. If we achieve results, everything else is negotiable; if we don't, then we shouldn't say anything."
Cheng Jiashi nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course."
Chen Ying looked at the two men and suddenly said, "Chief Wang, Elder Cheng, I have a question I'd like to ask you."
"Please speak, sir."
"Back then, you fought me to the death, wishing you could devour me alive. How come now you're sitting at the same table with me, drinking tea?"
Wang Wende blushed and stammered, unable to speak. Cheng Jiashi, however, smiled calmly, stroked his beard, and said, "Sir, please forgive me for speaking the truth."
"Please go ahead, Mr. Cheng."
"In the business world, there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends, only permanent interests." Cheng Jiashi's gaze was profound. "Back then, we fought against you because you threatened the interests of the Huizhou merchants. Now we cooperate with you because you can help the Huizhou merchants earn even more money. You have technology, production capacity, and an army; the Huizhou merchants have channels, experience, and talent. Together, they are invincible. Separately, they will both suffer."
Chen Ying smiled: "Mr. Cheng, what you say is very true."
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