"Your Majesty is truly wise!"
Cao Cao couldn't help but give a thumbs up. The emperor was indeed a step ahead, having completely outmaneuvered the powerful families.
If you do well, the lion's share will still be in the Emperor's hands.
If they don't perform well, or have any bad ideas, they will be purged directly. It's really too frustrating for the aristocratic families.
He couldn't help but sigh, "For some reason, I suddenly feel some sympathy for the Great Liang. They've probably never suffered like this throughout all these dynasties!"
The Great Liang families of Daliang are truly wronged!
"Hahaha!"
Upon hearing Cao Cao's words, Mi Zhu couldn't help but burst into laughter, exclaiming, "This is not unfair at all. In fact, their encroachment on land and concealment of population have already violated the laws of our Great Liang. The Emperor's decision not to exterminate them is already showing mercy."
Furthermore, with the development of these industries, the profits are no joke; they're even more than what they used to make.
"So powerful?" Cao Cao was taken aback. The powerful families were easy targets, yet this industry was so lucrative.
"Of course!"
Mi Zhu nodded and gave his answer without hesitation.
In the past, wealthy families would at most swindle ordinary people and do some small business on the side, but now, with the Ministry of Commerce taking the lead, it's a nationwide circulation, and they also have to engage in foreign trade.
The profits here are enormous. Although the emperor takes the lion's share, they still make a killing when the rest is distributed!
Lin Yi laughed and said, "Aristocratic families are incredibly resilient. If it weren't for the need to drive the overall development of Great Liang and the existence of the Imperial Examination System, why would I have kept them around!"
He wouldn't let them get away with it if he didn't have a way to deal with them.
To put it bluntly, he could suppress the powerful families, but by the time it came to his sons and grandsons, he might not be able to suppress them anymore. Therefore, the powerful families would not allow him to exist for too long.
After completing their phase of development, the aristocratic families will also withdraw from the starting stage!
But they still have a role to play today.
With them taking the lead, and with preferential policies in place, I can fully control the development direction of the entire Great Liang.
Just like animal husbandry and the wool economy, developing these in isolation wouldn't yield significant results. However, combining them with the wool spinning machines created by Ma Jun would have a completely different impact.
The existence of this stuff could completely sustain a country. Britain and France fought over wool in the first place, and this stuff is related to a country's economy.
Now that Lin Yi is supporting it, not only will he be able to ensure the people's winter protection in the future, but he can also earn a lot of trade goods. This is definitely a worthwhile investment.
With the incentive of profit, development will be more rapid, which will also promote the economic and technological development of Great Liang, thus enabling it to enter a new era ahead of schedule.
"A little wool caused a war between two countries?"
Cao Cao was dumbfounded. This wool was so prickly that it could actually cause a war between two countries. It was really absurd.
However, he dared not question the Emperor's words; if the Emperor said it existed, then it must exist.
Mi Zhu thought it was quite possible. He laughed and said, "In fact, many things can cause war, just like the sweet potatoes and potatoes that Your Majesty discovered. Their recent production has reached a new high."
In the southern regions, potato yields have even reached over 7,000 jin per mu, with some reaching as high as 10,000 jin per mu, an unbelievable achievement.
If a small country were to possess potatoes, wouldn't it be torn apart and killed by those food-starved countries?
Hiss!
Upon hearing this, not only did Cao Cao gasp in shock, but even Lin Yi was dumbfounded. "A yield of 10,000 jin per mu? This is pure bragging!"
He said solemnly, "Could it be that the lower levels are exaggerating? A yield of 10,000 jin per mu is too exaggerated, isn't it?"
"Absolutely not, this land belongs to the Zhang Clan. They used the most fertile soil and the best fertilizer, but unfortunately, it was all taken by your mother-in-law in the end..." Mi Zhu a dry laugh.
Holy crap!
Lin Yi's lips twitched. Zhang Wanhao was probably crying his eyes out. He had set a world record for his harvest, but he had been smeared by Lin Yi.
However, now that he has taken over the dyeing business, it can be considered some compensation. Besides, I spared his life, which is the greatest mercy I can show.
He said in a deep voice, "With the population of Great Liang experiencing a surge, food will become a new challenge. Can these potatoes meet the demand?"
"Your Majesty, rest assured, there is absolutely enough food now. In fact, nearly a million people died in the war in Great Ning, and all that food has been saved."
"In addition to the new potato harvest from both the north and south, and the large amount of grain His Majesty has put into the national treasury, even if no more crops are planted throughout the year, it can still supply Great Liang for one or two years," Mi Zhu said with a smug look.
First, there was the decrease in population, and then the potato-producing families in the south almost all fell into their hands, which resulted in a large surplus of grain in the south.
The north had so much land that had been reclaimed, and the population was so sparse that there was a lot of grain produced, Great Liang to feed the Liangshan region for one or two years.
Lin Yi nodded slightly, then frowned and said, "Although potatoes are high-yielding, we can't eat potatoes all year round. We need to develop super rice, wheat, and corn. In addition, the overseas fishing program can be fully opened up!"
However, ordinary people need a license to fish, and must conduct their fishing legally and reasonably under the guidance of the Great Liang Navy. We can't let them do whatever they want!
Previously, overseas fishing had basically come to a standstill, with only Gan Ning and his men occasionally sending a couple of boatloads as tribute. The common people had virtually no opportunity to fish. Now that things are stabilizing, it's time to open up the market.
"His Majesty is merciful!" Mi Zhu's eyes lit up. This meant the Ministry of Revenue would have another source of income. He was overjoyed.
" Mengde!"
"Your subject is here!"
"You need to study the Imperial Examination System in detail. Your Ministry of Rites of Rites will be in charge of it. Local post stations can receive candidates and waive certain fees. All of these things need to be done," Lin Yi instructed.
The imperial examinations are for selecting talented individuals for the Great Liang, so they cannot be taken lightly; we must cultivate truly capable people.
In particular, certain types of examinations will be established for talents in various categories to prevent the emergence of bookworms and to ensure that the Imperial Examination are purposeful and can yield more specialized talents.
There's Pu Yuan, a weapon-making talent. If you asked him to take the Imperial Examination, he probably wouldn't even pass the first hurdle.
It would be a great pity to reject it so easily, so Lin Yi plans to create a comprehensive Imperial Examination System that can be used in different places.
Cao Cao's eyes lit up. This thing actually belonged to his Ministry of Rites. This was a good thing!
He exclaimed excitedly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely give the order: anyone who dares to obstruct this Imperial Examination, I, Cao Aman, will teach them a lesson in cruelty!"
"Yes, I trust you with my life!" Lin Yi said with a smile.