According to Xu Ping's memory, the most ideal cotton producing areas at this time should be Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Nanyang Xiangyang Basin. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoJiangsu and Zhejiang have a large population and are at the climax of development, which is not suitable for large-scale cotton cultivation. The surrounding area of Nanyang is sparsely populated, and there is a lot of wasteland, and the camps and fields opened on Jingxi Road are basically there. It's just that because of the lack of population, it has always been built and scrapped. There is a great deal to be done by opening a large official cotton plantation according to local conditions.

However, this involves the coordination of the three divisions and the local government, and the change of the taxation system, and Xu Ping cannot be the master. I could only go back and slowly discuss with Kou Ying, and he would come forward and raise the matter with the imperial court.

Cold water came to the little yellow door, and everyone drank to quench their thirst and gossip.

Xu Ping's teeth were not completely good, and after drinking a sip of ice water, he felt that the pain was unbearable, so he had to put it down.

Taking advantage of the time when a few people were talking, Xu Ping held the wat and said: "Your Majesty, you ministers, just now I just said that cotton planting will be expanded next year, but how to weave the cotton grown into cloth will have to be discussed again." ”

Zhao Zhen was a little strange: "Now the field work of the three divisions of weaving, isn't it just busy for a month and then idle?" No matter how much cotton is planted next year, where will the field work be backlogged? ”

"In Weichen's village, all the cotton planted this year is counted, and it is less than 5,000 acres. If it is extended to the lower states and counties to plant, it will cost hundreds of thousands of acres. At present, the field work of weaving is far from enough. ”

Lu Yijian put down the ice water, picked up the folding fan on the table and shook it, and said: "There is still a lot of open space on both sides of the Wuzhang River in the north of the capital. ”

Xu Ping shook his head: "Xianggong, things are not so simple. Those weaving machines and tools must be learned before they can be used, not just recruited. And in the past year, the new field of the three divisions has recruited tens of thousands of people, although the population of the capital is large, there are no idlers, and it is not easy to recruit people. ”

Hearing this, Lu Yijian couldn't help laughing: "Xu Ping, everyone knows, who has the most people in the capital?" Naturally, there are the most idlers! For the sake of these idlers, Cheng Lin of Kaifeng Mansion is heartbroken, how can there be no idlers! ”

"Xianggong, the reason why idlers are idlers is because they are idle, not because they have nothing to do. It's very hard to do work in the fieldwork, where is it better than wandering on the streets, eating and drinking in a restaurant? The most unlikely person to be recruited in the field is the idler. For the imperial court, idlers are useless people. ”

The idlers of this era are the gangsters of later generations, and most of them have skills. However, these skills are all fun, playing, singing, sumo wrestling, and having nothing to do with labor. These people are not the labor force welcomed by the factory, and if they are recruited, the managers will have a headache to death. Not to mention, you don't want to go to your family if you don't want to go to it. I eat and drink spicy food every day, why do you want to go into the factory to do dead work?

There are many idle people in Kaifeng City, because there are many princes, ministers, powerful and rich people, and these people have needs, so they have raised such a special market. How can the working conditions of the field service be compared?

Wang Zeng said: "Xu Ping has a point, how can those idlers be people who do work?" They are all scoundrels since childhood, and people who have lost their sense of shame will be idlers with peace of mind. These people just want to enter the field, and they must not let them in! There is a shortage of people in the field, so don't think of a way. ”

Mei asked: "Why don't you let the surrounding states and counties send the prisoners who are sent to the army?" Now the prisoners of Kaifeng Mansion are all sent to the quarry of Jiagushan in Zhengzhou, and the stone is sucked into the lungs every day, and there are many deaths. If the field affairs of the three divisions are reassigned, not only will there be manpower, but it will also be a virtue for the prisoners. ”

After listening to Mei Xun's words, Xu Ping hurriedly said: "I can't do it!" Now the workers in the new field are all good families who receive fixed money and food every month, and there is no shortage of food and clothing. Doing things in the field and telling relatives and friends is a face-saving thing in the capital. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if the mismatch invaded the offender? The field affairs under the three divisions can only recruit good people, and no matter what, no one can be allowed to do things inside! ”

The quarrying of Jiagushan in Zhengzhou is the main source of official building stone in the capital, including Kaifeng Prefecture, and the prisoners of the surrounding state armies are all sent there, which is regarded as a labor reform. Due to the harsh working conditions of quarrying, it is easy to get pneumoconiosis, and there are no people recruited at all by normal and hired people, mainly relying on prisoners who are recruited and distributed by the army.

Xu Ping opened a workshop in the Third Division, which represents the advanced productive forces and production relations, and is intended to set an example for the whole society, how can it become a place to house prisoners. The workshop of the third division is the basis for the operation of capital, and Xu Ping himself is not a capitalist, and he will not be desperate for profits. The three divisions not only need the money earned by the new field service for political achievements, but also need the workers in the field affairs to live like individuals to make political achievements, and this yamen still needs face.

Seeing that Xu Ping couldn't do this, Lu Yijian said unhappily: "According to what you said, there is no way to recruit the needed manpower in the capital in the field affairs?" So what? ”

From the perspective of the value created by labor, in order to produce more goods, in addition to increasing the number of workers, it is also possible to improve the tools of labor. Although China has always had abundant labor resources, it is obviously insufficient in this era and in this place. Otherwise, there would not be so much arable land wasted between the two capitals in the most central part of the world. The arable land is only two-three out of ten, and the land is really vast and sparsely populated. There are many reasons for this situation, but the result is clearly a shortage of labor, and it is necessary to start with the improvement of labor tools.

Surrendering his hand to Lu Yijian, Xu Ping said: "Xianggong, the three divisions can only recruit these people, and it is impossible to make more moves in a hurry." The ancients said that if a worker wants to do a good job, he must first sharpen his tools, and he can only think of ways from the tools. Xia Guan tried a new textile machine in the cotton cloth business, which was driven by water power instead of animal power, and the effect was excellent. With the same human hand, more than twice as much cloth was woven than when animal power was used. For today's plan, you can not recruit people, but change the machine to hydraulic, which can solve the urgent need for the coming year. ”

Lu Yijian said: "You have always been clever, you have many inventions, and the three divisions have benefited a lot. If there really is such a tool that uses less people and weaves a lot of cloth, it is naturally a good thing, and if it is used together, it should be rewarded. ”

"Xiang Gong praises falsely, how dare the lower officials be? It's just that the capital is located on the plain, and although there are many rivers, there are very few that can use water power. The rivers that can be used today are all built with water mills. In order not to miss the weaving needs in the coming year, the lower officials wanted to ask the West Water Mill to be abolished and turn it into a cotton weaving workshop. It turned out that the rice and noodles produced by the West Water Mill were moved to other places and used cows and mules to pull the mill, and it was not wrong. In this way, there is no delay. ”

Hearing this, Lu Yijian smiled and said, "Why bother! Wouldn't it be better for you to move the weaver elsewhere and pull it by a bullock and a mule? The West Water Mill supplies the rice and noodles needed by the Ouchi and the forbidden army in the city, how can it be wasted? ”

"The minister didn't know that weaving cloth could not be fast or slow, and that water power could be used to build dams to store water, and to build canals to drain water, which was much more gentle than livestock. And the rice grinding noodles do not need to be so smooth, and the exchange of the two phases is not delayed. ”

Lu Yijian shook his head again and again: "Nonsense! I can't do it, I can't do it! The saint is here, not to mention what Ouchi needs, the rice and noodles needed by tens of thousands of troops in the city are not a small number, and they dare not make the slightest mistake! As soon as you waste water and grind, you are short of rations for the forbidden army, once you make a noise, do you know the consequences? ”

"How can it be less? As long as you plan properly, prepare surplus food, or let the new grinding area be built before the waste water milling, there will be nothing wrong. This matter has been planned for a long time, and it should be foolproof! ”

Lu Yijian just shook his head, and there was a trace of helplessness on his face, as if he was looking at an ignorant child: "Xu Ping, you are still young, and some things are not considered properly, and it is normal for people to do so." All the water mills in the capital must not be abandoned, you just have to find another way, this method will never work! It's not that I'm embarrassed for you, it's because you haven't experienced much of the world, and you don't understand? ”

Xu Ping didn't expect that Lu Yijian would resolutely oppose it, he had been planning this matter for a long time, all possible accidents had been taken into account, and even the rice noodles needed in the intermediate transition stage had begun to be reserved, why was it not feasible?

Unconsciously, Xu Ping looked up at Zhao Zhen. Zhao Zhen frowned, just shook his head slightly, and didn't say anything.

Xu Ping looked at Wang Zeng who was sitting on Lu Yijian's side again, and Wang Zeng sighed: "Rations are the foundation of the army, and there can be no negligence." Lu Xianggong is right, Xu Ping, don't think of a way, the water mill can't be moved no matter what. ”

A West Water Mill, the rice and noodles that come out every year are only hundreds of thousands of catties, which is not a big number at all for the three divisions. Only within the authority of his deputy envoy of salt and iron, Xu Ping can reserve these rations in advance for a year, a year, what can't be done? Xu Ping wanted to break his head, and he didn't know what the two prime ministers were worried about.

Xu Ping felt a little dazed, and looked at the other people sitting there, all of whom shook their heads slightly, obviously feeling that what they said was unreliable. Moreover, Xu Ping felt that behind the expressions of these people, there was such a sentence, no matter how talented you are, down-to-earth and hardworking, young after all, you will come up with such an idea.

This kind of expression does not have any meaning of ridicule, just like a junior to a child, watching the child accidentally get into trouble, and not knowing how to explain it to the child, shaking his head helplessly.

Xu Ping didn't like this feeling very much, he had seen this kind of look when he had just returned to the capital, and it turned out that he had done nothing wrong. Only this time, he really couldn't understand what these people were worried about.

If you can't use water power, how can you build a large-scale textile industry in the capital? It is natural to use manpower, but where did so much manpower come from in this era? More than 60 years after the founding of the Great Song Dynasty, the population is still recovering, and there is still a big gap between the number of household registrations in the Sui Dynasty. If we count the rapid increase in the population of Minyue in the south of the Yangtze River, the population recovery of the Central Plains is even more miserable, and there is no large surplus labor force around Kaifeng City.

In fact, Xu Ping was not because he was young, but because he had been an official in the court for too short a time and did not know some taboos that could not be touched. The rations of the forbidden army are casually dared? Xishui Mill supplies rice and noodles to the forbidden army, which is enough. Even if you pile up a mountain of rice and noodles at the gate of the barracks, the water mill still can't move.

As soon as you dare to move, there will be rumors that there will be a shortage of rations in the barracks, and there will definitely be soldiers who will make trouble. The forbidden army in the capital made trouble, and the consequences were unimaginable. As long as there is the slightest possibility, Lu Yijian and Wang Zeng will not dare to open this opening, and Xu Ping will not be able to prepare it completely.

The forbidden army is inherited from the five generations of warlord tooth soldiers, whether they can fight or not is another matter, rebellion and trouble is first-class, the ability passed down from the ancestors. Whenever there is a slight dissatisfaction with clothing and food, there will be people who take the opportunity to make a noise. What's more, after the trouble, most of them are appeased, and those who can bring the leaders to justice must be recorded in the history books.

In this case, let alone for weaving cotton cloth, no matter how big the matter is, you can't mess with them.

Taizu was born as a military general, and when he was in power, he did not worship literature and suppress martial arts, and the scholar was poor in his eyes, but he just wanted to use it, and it was cheaper to use than a military general. 200,000 yuan will fill your poor house, go home and slowly count the money and play. But if it is a military general who is in charge of the place, I am afraid that 200,000 will not be able to raise a few tooth soldiers.

Due to the controversy over his succession, Taizong vigorously promoted the civil officials of the imperial examination to replace the military generals and nobles, and officially began to worship literature and suppress the military. But on the other hand, Taizong was afraid of rebellion and firmly grasped the military power in his own hands. Moreover, for the sake of military power, he deliberately used mediocre generals to command the army, and encouraged lower-level non-commissioned officers to confront the commanders, forming a peculiar situation. The generals are incompetent and incapable of managing the army, and the soldiers are even more arrogant if they are not convinced, forming a balance. The general sits in a high position, enjoys the generous money, and can't control the soldiers below and dare not care, and the soldiers below do everything.

The high status of civil officials is good, but they cannot easily intervene in the affairs of the forbidden army, and military power is a taboo for hundreds of officials in the hands of the emperor. The forbidden army retired at the age of 60 and received half a salary, and there were many old and weak. But even with the respect of the prime minister, even if he adds the privy envoy, he has no ability to eliminate the soldiers of the forbidden army, which is an iron rice bowl given by the Son of Heaven for life.

The civil officials could insult and ridicule the generals in the court, but they could not touch their interests. Not only could they not move, but one was dissatisfied and rebelled and made trouble, and there were not one or two local chiefs killed by the rebels.

This situation is fundamentally different from Xu Ping's backing in Yongzhou, when he had the backing of the township soldiers in the sugar business. At that time, he was really in a hurry, he could take the regular army and open the knife, but he couldn't turn against them. Now that the forbidden army camp is around the imperial city, the two prime ministers just want these people to live comfortably and not make trouble, how dare they provoke them?

Xu Ping wants to use water power, yes. If you want a place, you can. If you want to expand your staff, you can do that. This is all able to increase the income of money and grain for the imperial court, and the political hall is optimistic. But to move the water mill, or do something else, affect the forbidden army, even if it is just a shadow. Not only did the prime minister disagree, but the emperor and the scholar Hanlin sitting here also felt that Xu Ping was still too young and naïve. (To be continued.) )