The meaning of these words, Song Youkun naturally understood as soon as he heard it, this is to ask the Song family to open a warehouse for relief, he couldn't help but hesitate, although a deep well can irrigate hundreds of acres of land, but it seems that he can't donate a lot of grain in order to dig a well ten days and a half months early, it's not worth it, the county has already remitted money to Shanghai to purchase machinery, and now the railway transportation is convenient, and the machine should arrive in ten days and a half months.

Seeing that he was silent, Hong Renshou secretly scolded, "Iron rooster!" Then he lowered his voice and said, "There are not many concrete wells left...... As he spoke, he walked with his hands behind his back to the secluded place.

Song Youkun was stunned for a moment and hurriedly followed, the machine drilling deep wells are inseparable from the concrete well, once this thing is out of stock, the speed of drilling the well will immediately slow down, maybe ten days and a half months can not drill a deep well, it is early autumn now, still not a drop of rain, God knows how long this drought will last, if the drought continues, winter wheat can not be plowed and sown.

However, he is also quite resistant to asking him to donate food for disaster relief, this is not the first time, and now that food prices are rising, this is all white money.

Away from the jubilant crowd, Hong Renshou stopped, turned around and said: "It is not only Shandong that has suffered, but also the northern provinces have suffered to varying degrees. ”

A large number of immigrants is definitely not a good thing for the local gentry who have a lot of land, which means that the cost of labor continues to increase, Song Youkun hesitated for a while before he tentatively said: "How much food do you need to raise this time?" ”

Hong Renshou stretched out two fingers and said with a smile on his face: "Two hundred thousand stones." ”

Two hundred thousand? Song Youkun couldn't help but gasp, "My lord, there has been a famine for more than half a year, and the whole county is afraid that it will not be able to make up 200,000 stone of grain." ”

"If you can't scrape together food, you can scrape together money." Hong Renshou said in a deep voice: "The popularization of machine drilling is the trend of the times, as early as two or three years, or as late as five or six years will be popularized, if there is no one, who will cultivate your land?" ”

After a pause, he continued: "In the near future, this official will convene an extraordinary meeting of the Advisory Bureau to discuss disaster relief matters and raise disaster relief money and food, and someone must take the lead in responding to this matter, the Song family is the richest man in Feicheng with a thousand tilt cards, and your son is the speaker, this official hopes that the Song family can take the lead in disaster relief and donate 20,000 stones." ”

Twenty thousand stones, this mouth is inevitably too big! Song Youkun was secretly annoyed in his heart, and after weighing it for a while, he said: "Five thousand stones, this is already the limit, and ten deep wells must be drilled first." ”

Hong Renshou glanced at him and said meaningfully: "Don't be in a hurry to make a statement, go home and discuss it with your son." With that, he walked away slowly with his hands behind his back.

Song Youkun's eldest son, Song He, is in his early Chinese New Year's Eve, received a new-style education, graduated from Jinan University in Shandong, and listened to the old man who said that Hong Renshou of Zhixian County wanted the Song family to donate 20,000 stones, and his eyebrows couldn't help jumping.

After briefly explaining the situation, Song Youkun said: "Lord Hong should want you to take the initiative to visit." ”

lit a cigarette and smoked silently for a while, Song Henian said slowly: "200,000 stones, this is preparing food for the disaster victims for the winter, but after the winter, there is still ....... spring." ”

Song Youkun was stunned and said, "After the beginning of spring, is it possible to let us continue to donate?" ”

"The immigration policy is a long-term and continuous policy, and once the victims run out of food, they will agree to migrate in order to survive." Song Henian said: "If you don't want large-scale migration, you can only continue to provide relief." ”

"Isn't this a dilemma?" Song Youkun muttered softly.

Since the end of Daoguang, the Qing Dynasty began large-scale immigration, Nanyang, Northeast, Northwest, Mongolia, Korea, Wa Province, Annam, Siam ......, one after another immigration waves have lasted for ten years, as a large population province Shandong is naturally a large province of export immigrants, the population has decreased by about three percent in ten years, the direct victims are undoubtedly the gentry who have a large amount of land, because the main body of immigration is the tenants, in order to attract enough tenants, the rent has to fall again and again.

For all the squires, no one wants a large-scale immigration wave in the local area, because it means that a large amount of land will not be cultivated in the coming year, however, the imperial court and the Yuanqi immigrants have always been under the guise of disaster relief, although the local squires are full of grievances, but they are helpless, if they don't want to have a large-scale immigration wave, they must pay for food relief, and there are losses on both sides!

"It may be a dilemma for the average squire, but for us, it doesn't exist." Song Henian said slowly: "Donate, donate 20,000 stones!" Don't give priority to drilling wells, just publicize it in the "Jinan Daily". ”

Song Youkun was stunned when he heard this, and reprimanded: "It's not enough to be in the limelight in Feicheng, but you also have to go to Jinan City to be in the limelight?" What year is it? The Year of the Great Calamity! Is it time to be in the limelight? ”

Song Henian said with a smile: "My son, this is not for the limelight, but as a stepping stone, I plan to cooperate with Yuanqi to start a factory, starting with the concrete well factory!" ”

Start a concrete well plant? This is really a good idea, Yuanqi is vigorously promoting machine drilling, the demand for concrete is huge, and it can also give priority to the supply of its own fields, but what does it mean to start with a concrete well factory? Song Youkun said suspiciously: "Do you want to set up a factory?" ”

Song Henian nodded, "Now is the industrial age, the application of machines will become more and more popular, now is to drill wells, in the future, ploughing and harvesting crops will be gradually replaced by machines, if you want to become richer, you must invest in industry, this is the trend of the times, Shanghai, Guangzhou, those factories, which is not rich and flowing?" The annual income of a factory with more than 1,000 people can be worth our thousands of hectares. ”

Speaking of this, he sighed lightly, "With the development of industry, more and more farmers enter the factory, and the days of hanging thousands of cards like ours will become more and more difficult, and we must change as soon as possible, otherwise we may be eliminated by this era." ”

Song Youkun didn't say anything for a long time, he didn't understand what the industrial era was, but he knew that the world had indeed changed, railways, trains, wired telegraphs, machine drilling, and deep wells ten zhang deep, these worries he had witnessed with his own eyes, whether there would be machines for plowing the fields and harvesting crops He didn't know, but now the tenants have become more and more employed, and it is not a bad thing not to hang themselves on a tree.

After a long time, he asked, "It's decided."

"It's settled." Song Henian said in a deep voice: "I can't hesitate any longer. ”

The Song family is willing to donate 20,000 stone of grain, and don't give priority to the opportunity to dig wells, just let it be publicized in the "Jinan Daily", which makes Hong Renshou very happy, and being able to raise 200,000 stone of grain is enough to ensure that the victims can survive this winter smoothly and stabilize the people's hearts! Migration is not a political achievement, but it is a real achievement to be able to take various measures to provide relief to the victims in a disaster year, stabilize people's morale, maintain local stability, and prevent or reduce starvation deaths.

Zhennan Wangfu, Changle Book House.

Yi Zhengxing walked into the study with a few telegrams, and Yi Zhicontent, who was talking to Zhao Liewen, glanced at the telegram in his hand and said, "What's the emergency?" ”

"It's not an emergency." Yi Zhengxing hurriedly stepped forward and handed over the telegram, saying: "The Shandong, Henan, and Shanxi Provincial Consultative Bureaus held an extraordinary meeting, and they have quite ...... opinions on large-scale migration. ”

After reading the telegram, Yi Zhishu casually forwarded the telegram to Zhao Liewen, and said with a smile: "I don't want to give money and grain to help the victims, and I don't want the imperial court to carry out large-scale immigration, how can there be such a good thing in the world?" ”

"Although the opposition to mass immigration is not high, this move is indeed seriously detrimental to the interests of the squire." Yi Zhengxing said cautiously: "After all, most of the members of the Advisory Council are local squires. ”

"It's not just the gentry who oppose immigration." Zhao Liewen continued: "The owners of factories and mines are also against it, because they need a large number of workers. ”

"It's useless to object." Yi Zhizhi said in a deep voice: "Immigration is an unshakable long-term national policy. ”

After hesitating, Zhao Liewen said: "The problem is that the victims are not willing to emigrate. ”

After glancing at the two of them, Yi Zhizhi said: "It is true that immigration is a long-term national policy, but such a catastrophe and not large-scale immigration will undoubtedly increase the difficulty of relief...... ”

"But no one knows that we are facing an unprecedented disaster." Zhao Liewen said: "Unless it is publicly promoted." ”

It is difficult to predict what kind of consequences will be produced by openly publicizing that more than 100 million people in the northern provinces are facing a rare severe drought that lasts for four or five years, and it is easy to know that it is certain that as soon as the news is reported, it will inevitably cause a serious panic, and the stock markets in Guangzhou and Shanghai will inevitably plummet, which may trigger a serious economic crisis.

"Publicly proclaim the impossible!" Yi Zhizu waved his hand, and after a pause, he continued: "Carry out public opinion guidance and public opinion control, publicize the necessity of immigrants to consolidate the frontier, publicize that immigrants are also an important measure for disaster relief, and strictly control the use of public opinion to oppose immigrants." ”

Zhao Liewen pondered and said: "In this way, it may greatly curb the enthusiasm of local squires and owners of factories and mining enterprises for disaster relief. ”

This possibility does exist, and after a slight groan, Yi Zhizhi said: "Huifu is too worried, who dares to offend Yuanqi in factories and mining enterprises?" As for the local gentry, as the disaster continues, if they do not actively cooperate and actively provide disaster relief, the scale of immigration will become larger and larger, and they can set an example or two and empty one or two states and counties. ”

"If you set an example of the monkeys in this way, the effect will inevitably be significant." Yi Zhengxing said: "Is it possible to formulate a relief system, and the money and grain from the imperial court and Yuanqi will be allocated according to the amount donated by the local squires for disaster relief." ”

Yi Zhishu shook his head slightly, "This move is inappropriate, it is easy to be criticized, and it also damages the prestige of the imperial court and the reputation of Yuan Qi. ”

"It's better to make an example of the monkeys." Zhao Liewen said with a smile: "Immigration is a national policy, and if immigrants are included in the assessment of state and county officials, it may be more conducive to promoting the ...... of immigrants." ”

"Huifu, that's a good suggestion." Yi Zhishu nodded, "Suggest to King Gong." ”

Kyoshi, Prime Minister's Office.

In the spacious office, Yi Yi frowned and looked at the monthly reports submitted by the provinces, the immigration policy has been publicized for more than two months, and the disaster has gradually become serious, but the effect of immigration is not satisfactory, despite the disaster, there are still not many people who are willing to emigrate with their families to foreign lands, only some of the states and counties that have been severely affected by the disaster have slightly more immigrants, and it is obvious that no one in the northern provinces has realized that they are facing an extremely serious disaster.

This situation made him quite worried, in the face of a large-scale and long-term severe famine, the earlier the migration, the larger the migration, the easier it was for the imperial court to provide relief in the later period, and the less financial resources were consumed, and the later the migration, the greater the expenditure and the more difficult it became.

"Lord Wang——。" A Zhang Jing reported at the door: "Zhao Liewen of the South Wangfu in Shanghai Zhennan called the phone. ”

"Take it in." Yi Yi hurriedly commanded, as soon as the crisp phone rang, he picked up the phone and said with a smile: "I haven't received a call from Brother Huifu for some days...... ”

"King Gong has a lot of opportunities, and he doesn't dare to disturb at will." Zhao Liewen said and asked directly: "The immigration effect is not good, what is the solution of the prince?" ”

Hearing this, Yi Yi said loudly: "I am anxious about this matter, what good plan does Brother Huifu have to teach me?" ”

"You can't talk about good policies." Zhao Liewen said with a smile: "Immigration is a national policy, can immigration be included in the plan of state and county officials as a task?" ”

The assessment of civil officials in the Qing Dynasty is carried out every three years, and the assessment of the officials of the Ministry of Officials is called Jingcha, and the assessment of local officials is called the Great Plan. After a pause, he continued, "What proportion is appropriate?" ”

"Immigration is detrimental to the interests of the local gentry, and the proportion should not be too high, and a tentative set of one percent is sufficient."

"Okay, it's hard for Brother Huifu to think so thoughtfully." Taking Shandong as an example, with a population of more than 20 million, one percent is more than 200,000, and with the gradual aggravation of the disaster, this proportion can be gradually increased.

Without waiting for the other party to be humble, he continued: "I heard that this famine has affected the stock market, so there will be no accidents, right?" ”

Zhao Liewen said with a smile: "The prince doesn't need to worry, our big shopkeeper already has a countermeasure, and there will be movement in a few days." ”

Putting down the phone, Yi Yi couldn't help but be a little curious, the continuous drought in the northern provinces, and the gradual increase in the number of affected states and counties, has caused panic in the government and the opposition, and the disaster will continue. Bailout of the market? This may seem unlikely, and the panic caused by the growing disaster situation cannot be quelled.