The most arrogant in history

Chapter 381 Return to the Plains.

"That's a good question. It looks simple, but it's actually very profound."

Ye Kun nodded and explained:

"In the past, the princes were fighting each other, and the common people were homeless, so they naturally had no intention of developing production. If you planted two acres of lotus roots, you might attract robbers who would kill your people and steal your things. If you reclaimed wasteland and turned it into fertile land, the landlords would take it by force and force you to sell the land at a low price. In such an environment, who would still have the mind to develop production?"

Not to mention ancient times, even in Africa in the age of intelligent industry, in countries with poor order, the people just give up and live one day at a time.

I would rather die of hunger than reclaim land, and I would rather die of thirst than dig a well.

Because after you dig wells and open up wasteland, armed forces will immediately come to deal with you, kill you, and occupy your fertile fields and wells!

Another reason why the people of Dading State were unwilling to reclaim wasteland or develop side businesses was that the land was monopolized on a large scale, and even the mountains and rivers were occupied by the wealthy.

Over the years, Ye Kun has used both kindness and force to gradually reclaim the land and develop the Hundred Households Village, leading to the current situation.

Youde thought about it and nodded, "I understand. Stability is the prerequisite for development, right?"

"Little girl, you are right. Without stability, there will be no development." Ye Kun smiled and touched Youde's head.

Youde also smiled and asked:

"Back then, you made a bet with Guan Yafu about grafting fruit trees so that his peach trees would bear apricots and his apricot trees would bear peaches. Did you win?"

Ye Kun laughed: "Of course I won. Guan Yafu's mansion in Dongba County has grafted peaches and apricots that have been hanging on the branches for several years. I have even eaten them!"

Youde asked again: "Qin Chou vigorously promoted fruit trees. Where did all those seedlings come from?"

"Stupid, we have fruit tree seedling gardens. Qin Chou has built agricultural demonstration gardens in all the major counties. On the one hand, they cultivate good varieties, and on the other hand, they spread technology. There are grain demonstration bases, vegetable demonstration bases, and fruit seedling cultivation bases."

Ye Kun talked freely: "Qin Chou also has a plan called "Bringing Walnuts to Thousands of Households". It is to vigorously promote walnuts, plant them in barren hills, and strive to ensure that every household has walnuts to eat."

Walnuts can be used to satisfy hunger, but their most important function is to extract oil.

Moreover, walnut trees have a long lifespan and stable yield.

Once a tree survives, you don’t have to worry about it for a hundred years. All you have to do is wait for the harvest.

Under Ye Kun's rule, there were countless barren mountains and hills.

Vigorously developing mountain and water resources, planting trees and raising fish can not only enrich people's food, but also strengthen food supply.

Youde couldn't help but sigh: "Walnuts are much more delicious than chestnuts. In the past, when we didn't have enough to eat, we ate chestnuts to fill our stomachs, but they were enough to choke us to death."

"When I have time later, I'll make you some sugar-roasted chestnuts. I guarantee it'll be delicious."

Ye Kun smiled and suddenly remembered something:

"By the way, Youde, the Roman-Daqin merchant group brought cotton. I have ordered them to be cultivated separately. After this year's development, we may be able to harvest a lot of cotton by next year. We will build a larger textile factory and make many beautiful and warm clothes."

"You keep talking about cotton. Is this cotton good? How is it better than silk? How is it better than woolen clothes? How is it better than linen?"

"Let me tell you this. Once cotton planting technology matures and is fully promoted, linen will be completely abandoned and no one will want it!"

Ye Kun thought for a moment and said, "From a warmth-keeping perspective, it's similar to woolen clothes, but it's much easier to make and doesn't require as much trouble. Cotton is also durable and easy to mend when it gets torn. Compared to silk, it's cheap, practical, and low-cost."

I have read some unverified historical records before, which said that cotton was introduced into China during the Han Dynasty, both in the Western Regions and Hainan.

However, wild cotton had poor quality and low yield, and had no advantages compared to silk, so it did not develop.

Ye Kun was very confident.

He believes that any crop has the potential to mutate as the environment changes, and will gradually adapt to the environment and develop into a superior variety.

Last time, Ye Kun arranged for more than a dozen places to plant and cultivate wild cotton. Yizhou, Hanzhong, and Yongliang states all conducted experiments separately to see where the cotton was the best, and then expand to the entire territory to continue breeding.

In three to five years at most, cotton can be promoted throughout the country.

Youde smiled and said, "So, we will have to build many textile factories in the future?"

"At least one thousand!"

Ye Kun was full of ambition: "After unifying China, I will set up small textile factories in every county and teach the people how to spin and weave so that they can make their own clothes."

"That would tire me out. I can't run around to see a thousand textile factories."

"Silly girl, by then you will be the Minister of Textiles of the whole country, with tens of thousands of people under you. Why would you want to run by yourself?"

The two of them were chatting on the boat and imagining the future, it was very heartwarming.

After playing in Xiping Mountain for two days, Ye Kun took Jiang Youde to Pingye County.

When the elders and villagers of Pingye County learned that Ye Kun had returned, they flocked out of the city and lined the streets outside the west gate to welcome him, with tears streaming down their faces.

Ye Kun got off the horse and expressed his condolences along the way, and was moved to tears.

"Master Ye, do you still remember me?"

A woman squeezed over, holding a child, and said in tears:

"I am a refugee from Cigu County, driven here by Huang Tiandao's army. It was Lord Ye who took us in and provided us with food, clothing and shelter. That night, the child had a fever, and Lord Ye and Madam Jiang came to see us in person. Madam Jiang even brought a roast chicken for the child..."

Ye Kun was stunned, then he remembered the past: "I remember now, no wonder this kid looks familiar!"

There was also an old man waving his hands and shouting in the crowd:

"Master Ye, I am Old Wang, the tofu seller on North Street. Do you remember me? My grandson is called Wang Chenghan. It was the name you gave him. Do you remember?"

"Old Wang, how could I forget you?"

Ye Kun laughed, squeezed over and took Lao Wang's hand: "I still suggest you make thousand sheets and dried tofu, right?"

At the beginning of the Da Ding Kingdom, there was only tofu, but no bean curd sheets or dried tofu.

It was when Ye Kun was in Pingye County that he found a few tofu makers, talked about bean curd sheets and dried tofu, and asked them to experiment with the production process, and gradually developed it.

Lao Wang cried and laughed, wiping his tears and said:

"Master Ye, I am old now and don't make tofu anymore, but my two sons are doing it. Master Ye, I will bring you two bowls of hot tofu tomorrow morning!"

"No, no, no, I'll go there myself when the time comes. Are you still at the stall on South Street? I remember you were the third tofu stall."

"There are seven tofu stalls now. But I'm still at the third one." Lao Wang laughed.

"Really? I'll go to South Street tomorrow morning to take a look."

It took Ye Kun half an hour to walk the short distance of a few dozen feet from the city gate to the city.

Workers from the Pingye County Spinning Mill also came to welcome Jiang Youde.

Youde saw the former female workers, held their hands, asked about their well-being, tears blurred his eyes...

That evening, Ye Kun held a grand banquet in Pingye County to entertain representatives of the elders.

The current magistrate of Pingye County is Tan Sichou.

He was Tan Bamao's cousin, a minor yamen runner who was in charge of official sales in Yashi.

Ye Kun asked, "Mr. Tan Sichou, how is it to be a county magistrate? Is it tiring?"

Tan Sichou stood up hastily and said, "I am just following Lord Ye's previous rules to govern the people. Fortunately, the elders and villagers are grateful for Lord Ye's kindness and support the work of this county."

"If you work hard, I will promote you to be a governor in the future."

Ye Kun turned his head and looked at his godson Tan Bamao: "Bamao, you are not young anymore. You have been following me everywhere and fighting in the battlefields. I am afraid your body cannot bear it. Otherwise, you can go to Changsha and become the governor of Changsha to help Yan Liuhai."

Tan Bamao is almost forty years old. He has suffered a lot following Ye Kun in the past few years and was even injured on the battlefield.

Ye Kun planned to let him learn to go into politics, become a prefect, and take care of him in the future.