Chapter 498: Festival

The Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the fourth year of Xuande and the thirty-one of Jianwen.

There are still firecracker residues and festival aftertastes left in the streets and alleys of Wuchang, just like a place where the banquet is held, leaving a mess.

According to folk tradition, even if the New Year is over, we should take off our new clothes and start preparing for spring plowing. The plan for the year lies in spring. The Chinese New Year should be the busiest season. We should fatten, breed, control and transplant rice seedlings. Even local officials should turn their government affairs to encourage farmers.

However, it is a sad day for children. Of course, it is not as fun as the Chinese New Year when the farming season comes, and may be ordered by adults to help.

There is a custom in the folk in Huguang that when children are holding hemp ropes to tie the feet of the bed today, expressing their desire to keep the New Year’s Day.

Zhang Ning empathized with this feeling. When he was a child, he hoped that the slower the New Year, the better, because when the farming season came, the adults had no time to pay attention to their children. At that time, his task could only take care of his younger sister.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, was born into a civilian, so he understood the sufferings of the people.

In short, Zhang Ning was also born in a rural mountain village. He was definitely not the prince who was raised by women in the deep palace. He also had a deep understanding of farming.

The people still have a last day of rest, and the local governments have not yet opened seals, but the Wuchang cabinet is already discussing matters.

This time, the matter was not about military affairs. Zhang Ning decided to issue a government order from the cabinet after the local government opened the seal: boil manure and fatten.

Several ministers inevitably questioned this decree because Zhang Ning couldn't tell the reason.

He only remembered that in order to save money on buying fertilizers in rural areas, the way to increase natural fertilizers is to boil manure water, which can greatly improve fertility; but he can't remember what the principle is...

Of course, bureaucrats will be cautious about such matters. If it is a waste of people's power, it is a waste of people's power and a bad policy.

Yang Shiqi suggested in moderation that he could choose a piece of official land in each county to test it first. If it really works, there is no need to force the officials and the people to increase their income. People will follow suit in order to increase their income; if they make a mistake in judgment, the impact will not be great and will not damage the prestige of the official.

But Zhang Ning is sometimes a little stubborn, and what he really confirms is very stubborn.

This thing doesn't need to be tested at all. It was his experience and experience when he was a child, which has been proved by practice. This is a waste of the opportunity to grow the agricultural economy this year.

So the cabinet finally decided to issue government orders to nearly 200 counties in more than 20 prefectures controlled by Huguang and Jiangxi, ordering local officials to urge the people to fatten by boiling manure.

The implementation strategy was based on the severity of corvee labor; the exploitation of farmers in the early Ming Dynasty was mainly two taxes and corvee labor. The government stipulated that in the next three years, all households who used the new fattening method would be exempted from half of corvee labor, so as to encourage the new law...

The government's profits of reducing losses due to corvee service can be compensated by increasing the income of two taxes. The grain tax is paid, and the higher the yield per mu, the more taxes it will be.

After this discussion, Zhang Ning naturally felt complacent again, feeling that he still had some talent to govern the country.

A small trial method should be considered a method of administrative regulation.

He believed that the Ming Dynasty's economic system really lacked regulatory measures, especially in monetary policy, which was a mess. The Baochao in the early stage and the finance in the later stage were in a mess. No wonder they had no money to fight later.

He felt that if he was in power in the future, he would have done better.

……

In the evening, the Lantern Festival Lantern Market is outside the south gate of the King of Chu Palace, which is particularly lively and prosperous.

Yao Ji took Zhou Erniang and others to the palace to watch the fireworks and lanterns, and sent someone to invite Zhang Ning, but he didn't go, just said that he would go to watch and eat dumplings together at night.

There is a custom tonight that you should eat dumplings made of glutinous rice. It is said that it means blocking the mouse hole and losing less property and savings in the new year; watching the night after the third update, it means peace and peace, and expressing your desire to avoid disasters in the year.

Anyway, these customs have auspicious meanings.

Zhang Ning was busy working on textbooks and decided to cultivate the navy generals in person in the beginning of spring. Although the starting point was to further establish a connection with middle-level generals, since things were to be done, we should not go through the motions.

He was very romantic and happy a while ago. Now he was approaching the schedule for the generals to arrive in Wuchang. The training plan course was not ready yet, so he had to hurry up.

When Yao Ji and others came back from watching the lanterns, he had to go and have a midnight snack with her.

Emperor Jianwen didn't have to go there anymore, so he went there in the afternoon to ask for peace of mind; however, Yao Ji had a different relationship and needed to accompany her for a while, after all, it was the Lantern Festival.

Yao Ji's group of women were talking and laughing when they were outside the door. As soon as Zhang Ning arrived at the door, the atmosphere in the hall became cold.Sure enough, I am still a not that kind person?

Zhang Ning walked forward and just wanted to politely ceremonies to Yao Ji. Then other people are all peers in their identities, and he just needed to accept the gifts from others.

No one dared to talk too much, and seemed a little restrained. Only Yao Ji said calmly: I thought I would also prepare a lantern market in the palace tonight. You see, there are so many people in the palace, so it’s better for everyone to guess the riddle to get a lottery; but when I thought, the war was not over yet, it would be better for the harem to calm down.

My mother thought carefully.Zhang Ning said hurriedly.

Looking back at his surroundings, Luo Mo Niang was there, but he didn't know whether he came to voluntarily and wanted to pave the way or Yang Shiqi asked her to come.

What's even more mysterious is that Xiao Qing, who could take the pulse last time, also came with him; isn't this woman an assassin? Zhang Ning didn't bother with her and let her go, but this time she came again as if nothing had happened. Could it be that she was thinking about saving her father?

The women were dressed up very neatly. Although they were at night, most of them had light makeup on their faces, which showed that they had carefully tidied them up.

Zhang Xiaomei looked at Zhang Ning quietly, but he did not dare to convey feelings to her; because although the women in this hall pretended to ignore him, it was obvious that people were paying attention to him, and it was easy to be noticed if they were not careful.

Zhu Nanping was speechless beside Zhou Erniang, and Zhang Ning made a generous move to talk to her and asked how much New Year's money he got during the New Year.

Zhu Nanping lowered his head and replied: The Imperial Concubine gave Yuanbao, and the aunt gave Jinsuo.

Yao Ji asked again: You went to the yamen in the morning, what are you doing?

Zhang Ning replied: Of course it is a state affairs. A few days ago, I remembered the situation of the Chinese New Year among the people and suddenly thought of ways to cook manure, so I quickly discussed with the ministers to do it.

What?Yao Ji looked at him in confusion.

Cook manure.

Zhang Ning had no choice but to explain that it is the excretion of humans and animals. Farmers mainly rely on it to fertilize, and the harvest is not good if there is enough fertilizer.Cook the manure and then use it, the fertility will not only double, which can greatly improve fertility.I suddenly thought that the Ming Dynasty had not discovered this method yet...

Alas, that's OK.Yao Ji shook her head and said, "Stop talking, will you still ask everyone to eat dumplings later?"

Only then did Zhang Ning realize that the women were all disgusting and hurriedly said: I seemed to have said something inappropriate, I am really sorry.

He believed that feces were also related to people's livelihood, and there was nothing to be dirty, but it was understandable that the women present resisted.

They are now all noble ladies and do not have to pay attention to those things.

However, the economy determines the upper class. If Zhang Ning Power Group is not operating properly, these women will not have the conditions to be romantic.

Seeing that everyone was a little restrained and didn't have fun talking and laughing. If he sat and waited for the third update like this, it would be a bit difficult to get over it, so he said: I have a suggestion, how about everyone playing cards together?

After saying that, he became excited and looked at Luo Mo Niang with a prank.

Luo Mo Niang curled her lips and held back in front of many people.

Later, Zhang Ning realized that Yao Ji was also aware of the last time she played cards and became restrained.

But seeing Yao Ji was looking at her with a smile.

Fang Ling said: Maybe there is only one who can play Ye Zi card, four people at a table. The little sister and the princess don’t know it. Concubine Bai shouldn’t have learned it either?

We don’t play Ye Zi Card. So many people focus on participating and choose a simple and interesting game.

Zhang Ning said, and turned around to a white-clothed guard standing, and went to get a deck of cards, a pen and paint.You can also play together later.

When the maid brought the props over, he counted the number of people present, then picked out the same number of cards at will, and explained while taking a pen to paint the color: This game is called 'Please close your eyes when it's dark', which is very simple.The red card indicates the prefect wearing a red official robe as the referee; the green card is the clerk's constable; the black card is the assassin who commits crimes in night clothes; the color is not painted is the civilian...

In Zhang Ning's view, Ye Zipai has similarities with mahjong in later generations, but it is actually a kind of gambling; while the murder game he mentioned is actually a social game, which seems to be more interesting.

During the game, everyone can defend and make jokes, and have the opportunity to express themselves without feeling ignored and forgotten.

It will bring people closer and get some simple care and fun.

Everyone is very smart women, and Zhang Ning only explained it once and understood the rules.

At first, they showed no interest, but since it was Zhang Ning's suggestion, and now everyone is sitting together and there is nothing to do, so there is no reason to refuse.

It is better to play casually than to sit down.

But after two sets, people got into the state and gradually became interesting.

Zhang Xiaomei pretends to be innocent and silly, Yao Ji pretends to be righteous and stern, and Luo Moniang speaks so hard that each shows her strengths.

The hall gradually became lively and laughter reappeared.

Even the maid who was pulled to Make up the numbers changed her usual manner and dull appearance, making people feel her personality as a person.

Zhang Ning was once accused of being a killer, and he even took advantage of the excitement to joke with Xiao Qing: I look like a big bad wolf, but in fact you all wronged me.However, the real assassin was not only a well-educated person with a ladylike style, but also had a good pulse and medical treatment, so it was wrong to just feel.Am I wrong?

Xiao Qing blushed when she said that when it was her turn to speak, she said that she had no choice but to be forced to do so.

One person said a few words and made fun of jokes. Time flies very quickly, and the third update seems to be coming in a while.