"Haha, I know why!"
Chen Qun, however, understood the reason. A smile appeared on his face as he said quietly, "My lord means that the sweet potatoes and potatoes are almost ripe. As long as the Northern Barbarians know the yield of the sweet potatoes and potatoes, they will definitely become restless."
"Are these sweet potatoes and potatoes really that amazing?" Xun Yu asked curiously.
He had heard of sweet potatoes and potatoes, but were they really that amazing that they could supply the Northern Barbarians barbarians to their enemies?
Chen Qun chuckled and said proudly, "I planted a pot of potatoes in the prefect's courtyard earlier, and I dug it up before I left. The results are absolutely amazing! When it's harvest time, a yield of 3,000 catties per mu is no problem."
Although he was skeptical at the time, after he dug through the soil himself, he no longer doubted the truth of the yield of 3,000 catties per mu.
There are still some days before harvest, and the results are already so good. When it's ripe, the harvest will surely increase dramatically, possibly even exceeding 3,000 jin per mu.
Grunt!
This terrifying data shocked everyone. They had initially thought their lord was exaggerating, but now it seemed he was being incredibly honest.
In this way, the people of Xiliang will not lack food.
If there is still a food shortage with such a terrifying yield, then it's not a land problem, but rather that the people are too lazy. As long as the people are not lazy, there will surely be food to eat.
Xun Yu couldn't help but swallow hard, muttering, "A yield of 3,000 catties per mu is truly heaven-defying! Just these two crops alone, if they were to be promoted, our lord would have already rendered a great service to the All Under Heaven!"
He had previously thought there were some issues with exchanging grain for warhorses, but now it seems there are no problems at all, and the Northern Barbarians would probably be very willing to do this deal.
You must know that the Northern Barbarians are most lacking in food!
Unable to grow crops, they relied on herding for survival, and their biggest weakness was the lack of food reserves during winter.
In order to obtain more food, most people chose to desperately attack and rob their neighbors, which was undoubtedly a last resort.
After all, they take enormous risks every time they go to war; if their plundering fails, a large number of their people will starve or freeze to death every year.
If there really were such a high-yield grain that they could all grow, they would definitely not refuse it.
This provides the basis for the exchange: what's wrong with exchanging such a divine seed for a few horses? It's all a gift to the Northern Barbarians.
"Haha, when harvest time comes, the grain yield will only be higher; they'll have no choice but to be tempted."
"Furthermore, I have already instructed Mi Zhu to open the western passage, importing a large number Western Regions warhorses from the Western Regions. Western Regions warhorses are incredibly durable and in no way inferior to the warhorses of the Northern Barbarians."
Lin Yi said with a smile.
Since he was preparing for a major military expansion, he had naturally made preparations long ago. He already had a source of warhorses; it just took time.
Now he has no shortage of time; Xiliang is already powerful enough, and he can gradually erode the surrounding areas.
Xun Yu's eyes lit up, and he laughed, "My lord is truly a master strategist! In this way, there will be no chance of failure. Once the seven legions are completed, the strength of Xiliang will surely reach a new level!"
He was familiar with the combat capabilities of these armies; they were absolutely the elite of the elite. Such powerful seven legions were enough to dominate the All Under Heaven.
"Well, there aren't any major problems with the military. In the coming period, besides intensive military training, we'll focus on developing various industries within Xiliang and strengthening the foundation of our Xiliang Commandery," Lin Yi said solemnly, glancing at everyone.
The current prosperity of Xiliang Commandery is merely superficial; it needs time to mature before it can truly transform.
Once Xiliang rises to power, even if Xiliang has to fight on two fronts in the future, it won't be a problem.
He looked at Xun Yu, whom he had previously instructed to entrust with this matter.
Xun Yu nodded, picked up a plan from the table, handed it to Lin Yi, and said in a deep voice, "My lord, I have already made plans for the development of agriculture, animal husbandry, industry, commerce, and military industry in Xiliang, according to your instructions."
"Among them, commerce, industry, and military industry are listed as key projects, and I believe the core of these is businessmen!"
"Merchant?"
Lin Yi's eyes lit up, and he began to examine it carefully.
After reading it, he couldn't help but nod. Xun Yu was indeed quite capable; he had actually thought of using merchants to promote the development of various industries.
Xun Yu's method was simple: apart from the military industry, he planned to commercialize everything else. The advantage of this was obvious: to promote the great development of these industries through commercial means.
Lin Yi agreed with this method; after all, money makes the world go round, as the old saying goes.
Talking about development is useless if the people don't see any tangible benefits; they won't act on it.
Why were sweet potatoes and potatoes, despite being touted as being very good, initially met with some resistance from the people, but Lin Yi ultimately forced them to be planted?
To put it bluntly, they haven't seen the expected production volume, so naturally they won't be willing to take the risk; this is a matter of habitual thinking.
Once this year's grain yield is revealed, even if Lin Yi doesn't tell them, they will still work their hardest to plant potatoes and sweet potatoes, because they can see the harvest.
This is where the role of merchants becomes apparent. They define valuable things as real money, which can instantly mobilize the enthusiasm of the people.
Even if a merchant wants dog excrement, as long as he pays, the people will let dog excrement pile up into a mountain; this is the guiding role of merchants.
However, while merchants can use it, they should use it with caution.
Lin Yi cautioned, "Commerce plays a huge role. After all, no one gets up early for nothing. As long as there's enough profit, businessmen will flock to it like flies, thus driving the industry's development!"
"However, commerce is a double-edged sword, because merchants have no loyalty whatsoever. As long as there is profit to be made, they will even sell out Xiliang. Therefore, commerce needs to provide them with a layer of insurance to prevent them from growing unchecked!"
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
Previously, Zhuo Feifan and his group from Xiliang Commandery had also sold resources to the Northern Barbarians, completely disregarding national security. These merchants truly have no bottom line.
But here's the problem: how do we solve it?
Lin Yi smiled, looked at Mi Zhu, and said quietly, "The solution is simple: we become the biggest merchants. With the seven legions under our control, those who submit to us prosper, and those who oppose us perish. Even merchants can die!"
If you want to make money, you can follow in my footsteps, or I will make your millennia of cultivation vanish in a single day.
This isn't a society governed by the rule of law anymore. If you anger me, I'll show you the benefits of the Seven Legions.
Now even online trolls exist; if you mess with me, you won't escape no matter where you are.