The news that Gouyaer can hear is certainly not a secret.

In fact, since Wang Ning'an had just entered the government affairs hall, he ordered an investigation and survey. He wanted to promote commercial agriculture and provide more products, and the first thing he had to face was the food problem.

If there is not enough food, no matter how many vegetables or livestock products are produced, it is meaningless.

What's more, whether it is breeding pigs and sheep, you need feed. Five kilograms of grain converts one kilogram of meat, which is almost iron rule. Without sufficient food, everything is empty talk.

Only after taking the helm of the Song Dynasty did Wang Ning'an deeply realize that many things are really not as simple as imagined.

If anyone still thinks that if they have made a steam engine or a textile machine, they can start industrialization and sweep the world, then they can only say that you are too naive.

What is industrialization? In short, it is a process of continuous increase in capital and technology and excluding labor. To put it bluntly, it is to use machines to replace manpower, and to continuously increase production and improve efficiency through advanced technology and effective management.

The problem is that machines can replace people, but machines will also age and depreciate. Therefore, people continue to increase their investments to feed the industrial system. To put it bluntly, this is a giant beast that swallows gold.

Only when the industry reaches a certain level can industry replenish agriculture.

Before this, industrial giants would absorb various materials without hesitation, urban-rural differences, rural poverty, and various problems emerge one after another.

But when the productivity is still low, there is not much surplus for farmers and they cannot withstand the Star-absorbing Method.

The farmers in the Song Dynasty were very capable, but one man could only support three people at most.

A family of five, two males, can only sell food for one or two people in a year, and this is a good year for good weather.

If we catch up with natural disasters, for example, this time, since the Qingli period, the temperature has been falling all the time, but it was a warm winter in the 7th year of Jiayou.

There is little precipitation and the weather is dry. If nothing unexpected happens, there will definitely be locust plague.

Sima Guang had already asked the Ministry of Revenue to send personnel to study, and the Agricultural College and the Ministry of Revenue delivered a report together. According to their estimates, grain production will decline almost the entire north.

At least 20%, or even some areas, will exceed 50%.

If a large-scale locust plague occurs, it is not impossible to harvest.

There are a total of 40 million people living in these areas. No matter how conservatively estimates, disasters will affect at least 10 million people, and there will be three or four million people who lack food and need relief.

As a result, even Sima Guang was stunned.

He was worried, "Master, even if the victims were asked to drink porridge, three or four million people would have to get 5 million stags of food. But in fact, the number required is far more than this. Even if there are 10 million stags, it is not much!"

Wang Ning'an knew what he meant, "Are you worried that local governments will be greedy for money and that people will hoard goods?"

"Not only that, because we have developed cities so hard recently. Now the entire north has more than 30% of the total population, and some places have reached more than 40%. The city is densely populated and has a strong purchasing power. If there is insufficient food, the city will continue to raise prices and absorb food from the countryside. At that time, what is presented to the rural people is that they are hungry, while others take away the food and give it to the city. The people are resentful, and if someone stirs up, it will be out of control."

Wang Ning'an took a deep breath, "So we not only need to help the victims, but also stabilize urban grain prices and crack down on speculation anytime and anywhere. Only in this way can we keep the overall situation."

"Um!"

Sima Guang's face looked ugly, "Master, there is another thing. I want to remind you that the bond market and the stock market have been established, and last year someone has introduced a new way of playing. In the past, merchants would agree to each other that at a certain time in the future, they would deliver certain commodities at a certain price. This was a credit promise between merchants, but later some people found that there would be a gap between the delivery time and the price of commodities and now, which may be high or low, and there would be profitable here."

"So futures appeared!"

Wang Ning'an is already big. Don't really think that these modern things are so good. If you get them from ancient times, you will be able to go smoothly and never get worse.

In fact, things that are too advanced often have a counterproductive effect.

From the perspective of political economy, it is a superstructure that is ahead of schedule, which will have a bad impact on the economic foundation. This is the case now!

You can know by thinking with your toes.

Futures have come out, and the weather is dry and it is a large-scale drought. Some people will definitely predict that there will be insufficient food and then raising the price of food.

Food prices soar. No matter how the court finds a solution, some people will hoard goods and add fuel to the fire.

What can I do?

Will you kill futures?

Order a ban?

Perhaps this is the easiest way.

But such a good invention was killed in advance?

Can you do it?

At this moment, Wang Ning'an suddenly figured out that there were too many arguments criticizing Confucianism in later generations. Of course, Wang Ning'an couldn't stand Confucianism and ignored Neo-Confucianism. However, it has to be admitted that their relatively conservative choices, their fearful attitude towards new things, pursue stability and unchanging, cannot be said to be reasonable, at least understandable.

After all, controlling a huge sea ship cannot tolerate any mistakes, otherwise the consequences will be too serious.

Even as a time traveler, Wang Ning'an was a little helpless in the face of this situation.

"Junshi, what are your solutions to deal with it now?"

"There are three main aspects. One is to raise grain as much as possible, especially transporting grain from the south to fill the regular warehouses in the local area in case of emergency needs. However, over the years, more and more cotton and mulberry trees have been planted in Jiangnan. Many fish and rice towns have been constantly no longer producing grain, and they have to be allocated from outside. Therefore, Jiangnan cannot produce much grain, so they can only rely on Jinghu and Bashu. In addition, Lingnan and Jiaozhi have been almost squeezed over the years. I estimate that it is impossible to raise up to 3 million stones, and it is impossible to raise more. Considering the consumption on the road, the use of it will not exceed 1.5 million stones."

"The second aspect is to organize the people to fight against the disaster, dig deep wells, and send people to monitor it. Once there are signs of locust plagues, they should be killed immediately before the locusts take off and try to maintain the output."

"As for the third aspect, it is to limit cities to raise grain prices, and to set minimum and highest prices, and to close the futures market if necessary."

...

Sima Guang kept talking and talked a lot.

Wang Ning'an knew his apprentice's skills, not to mention that these were not just Sima Guang's opinions, but also so many professional bureaucrats and their collective wisdom.

Obviously, even though I had thought of ordinary methods, Wang Ning'an would not be more skillful than them.

"Tell me, how big is there?"

Sima Guang showed a relaxed expression on his face.

He likes to do things under Wang Ning'an very much. His master always has ideas that others cannot think of. In fact, with their talents, they can do it to a maximum of 70% or 80% of them. The only difference is just a little bit, but this can be fatal!

And Wang Ning'an is the masterpiece!

"We have calculated it, and we have made every effort to raise all kinds of methods. We can squeeze out 3.5 million to 4 million stones. If we are careful, we can actually survive."

Wang Ning'anxin said this. After all, the Song Dynasty has gone through ups and downs for more than a hundred years. The problems they faced were not much easier than this time. If these outstanding people were so rare, the Song Dynasty would have been destroyed long ago.

The question raised by Sima Guang was also because of Wang Ning'an's tossing and causing the urbanization of the Song Dynasty to be more improved. Various advanced financial tools emerged and the additional issuance of currency caused the capital in some people to soar.

Don't think this is a good thing.

Capital represents purchasing power and is also a kind of power to influence society.

For the sake of profit, those who control capital can bring progress and destruction, and they will never be careless.

Wang Ning'an pondered for a while, and then said: "From the current situation, if we want to maintain the prosperity and stability of the Song Dynasty and develop steadily, we must obtain an additional 5 million to 6 million stags of grain. With this grain as the foundation, we can easily survive the famine!"

Sima Guang nodded vigorously, "Master is right. Only Master can do this. Disciples believe in Master."

"Oh, I don't know if you are my master or I am your master? How can you tell the master that you are difficult to do? Do you still know how to respect the elderly and love the young?"

Sima Guang smiled, "Master, it seems that you have no disciples, and you are a dozen years older than the emperor... So, respecting the elderly and loving the young, it should be a little harder for Master!"

Wang Ning'an was so angry that his face turned red and his neck was thick. These bastards were getting bolder.

"Get out quickly, I'm too lazy to see you!"

Sima Guang quickly got up and walked outside. When he arrived at the door, Wang Ning'an's voice came slowly, "I will find a way to do food, only a lot more... Stay at me, anyone who dares to make money from the national crisis will chop off his head. Don't be polite."

"yes!"

Sima Guang replied, dragging the long tone, unable to hide his joy.

Master is Master, there is indeed a way!

Sima Guang hurriedly went down to make arrangements, and Wang Ning'an was also planning where to get food.

...

While their master and apprentice were talking, in a yard in Xijing, two old men wearing navy blue robes looked up at the sky and smiled with relief.

They are the wise elders under Mount Huo, and Musavi.

"According to our observations and astronomy, there will be droughts in the Song Dynasty this year, and it will be a very serious drought that will affect tens of millions of people." Mousavi bowed and said.

Elder Wisdom smiled slightly, "This is nothing strange. As long as you spend winter here, you can clearly see that when winter is no longer cold, disasters will be brewing in summer! God is fair, and it has given the best conditions in the Central Plains and given unparalleled prosperity. It is a mistake. God wants to take back his grace and bring disasters!"

These two people have been observing the Song Dynasty secretly. At first they thought that the emperor would die, and they would be in chaos. Who knew that everything was calm and calm.

The emperor's son succeeded to the throne, and the court's chief minister was still diligent and assisting the new king without any panic. The entire empire quickly recovered from its sorrow and continued to move forward quickly... They were all desperate!

What kind of monster is this?

An emperor who had been in charge for 42 years passed away and was safe and sound. Oh my God, is there anything even more ridiculous?
Chapter completed!