Qianqing Palace, East Warm Pavilion.

As soon as the winter became, the cabinet and Chongzhen deliberations were moved to the East Warm Pavilion, since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, although the early dynasty system has been customized, but important matters, are the emperor and the cabinet privately ruling, is for the cabinet.

Chongzhen has changed into his regular clothes and sits at the head, and the rest of the cabinet sits in turn Zheng Sanjun, the first assistant of the cabinet, Li Banghua, the second assistant, and the remaining six scholars.

There is a charcoal fire burning around this East Warm Pavilion, but it is quite warm, Liu Hong is gradually the youngest, and he is bored and sits at the end of the seat, looking around.

A few small yellow doors came over with a few plates of small snacks, and several pavilion elders were silent, Liu Hong gradually wondered, this court stood for a long time, are they all beaten with iron, so hungry?

Liu Hong gradually didn't care about this, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and stuffed it into his mouth, Chongzhen just glanced at it and opened his mouth.

"I summoned you Aiqing today, that is, I want to check this year's income and expenditure, and make a simple budget for the coming year.

Ni Yuanlu, a scholar of Jianji Hall and a scholar of the household department, took out the book that had been prepared from his waist, squinted his presbyopia and put the book in front of his eyes.

"Your Majesty, last month, I received the withdrawal accounts from my colleagues in the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of War, and all the officials of the Ministry of Household checked them for a month.

This year's tax revenue totaled 2,754,342 taels of silver, or 653,870 catties of silk......

The various departments of the imperial court withdrew a total of eight million nine hundred and eighty-six thousand five hundred and forty-six taels of silver recorded in the books......"

Ni Yuanlu's beard trembled when he read this, and Chongzhen's brows also wrinkled, a serious financial deficit!

"The balance at the end of the year...... Twenty two million eight hundred seventy four thousand three hundred seventy-five ......"

Well, at this time, everyone paid attention to Liu Hong, the newly promoted An Guohou who was at the end of the seat.

"Hehe, Weichen said a long time ago, we are not short of silver!" Although Liu Hongjian said it extremely seriously, several old Shangshu looked ashamed.

"Daming has had many disasters this year, but fortunately, with the concerted efforts of all of you, the humerus and I have finally passed this most difficult year, I will say from my heart, I really can't hold on this year!"

Chongzhen slowly stood up as he spoke, paced slowly around the few old Shangshu and Liu Hong who were seated, and then turned his back to a few people, and was a little speechless.

The so-called monarch is worried about the humiliation of the ministers, and several old Shangshu also quietly sighed and lowered their heads, how could they not be tired.

At the beginning of the year, the imperial court was in a miasma, the orders could not be lowered, the party was formed for personal gain, and corruption became commonplace.

Then Zhang San has a group of dogs, and Li Si also has a group, tearing each other apart, even if you want to be alone, you can't do it, and several old Shangshu are all too busy to take care of themselves.

"With the protection of our ancestors, I have sent a capable minister to save the world." Chongzhen pondered for a moment, walked up to Liu Hongjian and patted him on the shoulder.

Liu Hong's gradual and clear feeling of this gentle pat was about to add a burden to him again.

Thanks to your old man's support, otherwise Lao Tzu wouldn't have to follow the Nanming small court! Liu Hong gradually thought secretly.

"Don't say those frustrating words, now that the treasury has silver, and the nine sides of the Ming Dynasty will be restored for the time being, you Aiqing will talk about it, what suggestions do you have for the court in the coming year?"

Chongzhen paced back to his throne and sat down, took the teacup and took a sip.

"Your Majesty, the north has been suffering from wars and droughts for a long time, and the people are tired, and now a winter snow will be a good sign next year, according to the courtiers' opinion, the court should prepare good seeds as soon as possible for the people in the north to cultivate!"

Meng Zhaoxiang, a scholar of the Middle Pole Temple, spoke.

"Well, the household department will write down this matter." Chongzhen immediately spoke.

The rest of the cabinet elders also put forward their own opinions, and when Liu Hongjian arrived, several old men wanted to see what good ideas the emperor's eyes could come up with.

"Your Majesty, have you ever heard of potatoes and sweet potatoes?"

Liu Hong gradually frowned, and decided to start with the most fundamental issue of eating.

Although Liu Hongjian knew that potatoes were introduced from the Ming Dynasty at the end of the 16th century, Liu Hongjian had also stayed in the north for more than half a year, and he had never seen any family eat potatoes, let alone the sweet potatoes that were introduced later.

In fact, although potatoes and sweet potatoes were introduced to the Ming Dynasty at this time, they have not been popularized for the following reasons.

The Ming people's local concept is very heavy, many people are reluctant to live in other places, and the Ming Dynasty has a law, and the people are not allowed to move around at will, which is a major reason for the slow spread.

In addition, the northerners were used to eating noodles, the southerners were used to eating rice, and the self-sufficient economic system of the Ming people also led to the closure of the fire, and it was not easy to accept new things.

Third, I don't know how to plant and how to eat, and the above three points lead to the end of the Ming Dynasty to have artifacts without knowing it.

These two crops were really planted on a large scale as staple food, and it was until the end of the Kangxi Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, which was touted by later generations that the prosperous Kangqian era of the heavens, and the biggest credit was potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Liu Hongjian had been busy fighting fires before, but now that he was finally free, he suddenly remembered that he hadn't eaten shredded potatoes for more than half a year.

"I've never heard of sweet potatoes, but I've eaten this potato, and it's not very tasty!" Chongzhen was a little puzzled why Liu Hongjian suddenly asked about this, but he still said truthfully.

"Dare to ask the emperor how he ate at that time?"

"Cooked."

"Tyrannical things, Your Majesty, what does boiled potatoes have to do with boiled radish? This potato is an artifact, which can be fried, stir-fried, cooked, fried, and cool......

Oh, and that's not the point, the point is where the potatoes are now! ”

Liu Hong almost said the potato beef on a whim, you must know that beef is contraband these days.

Chongzhen saw that Liu Hong's face was solemn and not like a joke, so he asked the waiting eunuch to inquire and learned that the Jiashu Department did not plant this crop.

"Does Master Hou value this crop so much? There is this kind of crop in the official's hometown, but it is all planted by the neighbors to improve the food, and if the lord needs it, the official will write a letter to his hometown to bring some back. ”

Shi Bangzhao, a scholar of Dongge University, is a native of Hu Jian, although he has never seen sweet potatoes, but this potato is indeed there, but no one is stupid to plant it in a large area.

"It's not the need of the wait, it's the need of the Ming Dynasty, this is the lifeblood of the Ming Dynasty!

The emperor immediately ordered that the household department go to the south to buy potatoes and sweet potatoes, which can be priced at a pound of silver or two, the more the better! ”

Liu Hong gradually said excitedly, not to mention one or two catties, it is two taels, three taels and one catty, as long as you can get enough potatoes and sweet potatoes for the north to seed, big things can be expected.

"Aiqing, don't be impulsive, how can my Ming Dynasty's national fortune be determined by two crops, don't be joking!"

Chongzhen thought that Liu Hong was joking, this guy often talked incoherently, a tael of silver can almost buy a stone of rice in the south, how much is a pound of potatoes?

This is the case with the so-called entrants, who often regard the territory of the people as extremely important, and it never occurred to the monarchs that the most important thing for an agricultural empire is food.

"Your Majesty, do you know the yield of this potato?" Liu Hong gradually looked at Chongzhen and said word by word.