The whole family travels through time and space, and the three of them struggle together

Chapter 203: Minister Zhuang was scolded

To prevent Mr. Zhuang from making things difficult again, Zhou Dajiang continued, "Potatoes are not picky about the land. As long as the soil is loose, they can be planted. They don't need first-class fields. Second-class fields, third-class fields, or mountain fields will all be fine. They can also be planted in corners and crevices.

Moreover, potatoes are very filling and there is no limit to the cooking method. They can be eaten boiled, stewed, stir-fried or fried. They have a mild and mellow taste and are suitable for people of all ages.

After harvesting these thirty acres of potatoes, we can take them to the slightly warmer south to plant another batch for seed. That way, after the floods recede and the land rests for a few months, we can plant them on a large scale.”

After hearing his story, Minister Qi was very satisfied. "Great! With these potatoes, post-disaster recovery will be even faster!"

In previous years, post-disaster reconstruction took about three years to complete, which was the main reason the Ministry of Revenue was always short of money. All the money was used to subsidize the disaster-stricken areas. Where would there be any money? Now, with these potatoes, the Ministry of Revenue can finally save some money!

After Minister Qi finished his calculations, he looked at Zhou Dajiang again, and it was like looking at a golden doll. Zhou Dajiang was good in every way, there was nothing he couldn't do!

After listening to Zhou Dajiang's story, Emperor Jiayou nodded slightly. He had heard the Empress mention that Madam Zhou's shop had a snack called "French fries." They were simply fried, sprinkled with salt, or dipped in the red sauce, and they were delicious. She had never tasted them before. Presumably, they were made from that potato.

With the potatoes provided by Zhou Dajiang and the support from the imperial court, I believe the disaster-stricken areas will be able to recover to their original state by the end of next year or the first half of the year after. This is indeed quite fast.

Then he cleared his throat and said to Zhou Dajiang: "My dear Zhou, your contribution is not small. I will reward you after the incident. But I still have one thing to ask you. Where did you get these potato seeds? If you only have these 30 acres, I'm afraid it will be difficult to meet the demand." After all, the disaster area is so large that it cannot be solved by just 30 acres of seeds.

Zhou Dajiang hurriedly and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, these seeds were originally gifted to me by a greenhouse in the prefectural capital. According to the owner, they acquired them by chance through barter with a foreign country. I still have a good supply of potatoes at home, and I'd like to use some of them as seeds. With Your Majesty's permission, we can also send people overseas to explore and import them. With this two-pronged approach, we'll definitely have a sufficient supply of potatoes."

Emperor Jiayou was delighted and said, "My dear minister, this is a good idea! You can rest aside for now, and I will make the arrangements."

"Yes!" Zhou Dajiang responded and retreated to the last row. He had to retreat because he was the lowest rank here.

As he stood firm, he heard Emperor Jiayou say, "My dear Qi!"

Qi Shangshu stepped out and said, "I am here!"

"I order you to immediately allocate funds for disaster relief, open nearby granaries, and distribute supplies to ensure that the victims have food to eat and clothing to wear.

At the same time, I order the Minister of Agriculture to hand over potato matters to Minister Zhou Ai, and to find a piece of land in the south and arrange for sowing as soon as possible."

Minister Qi: "I obey your order!"

Emperor Jiayou then said, "Lord Li!"

Minister of War Li also stepped out, "I am here!"

"Urgently dispatch all troops near the disaster area to fully participate in the rescue. Dispatch all lifeboats and life rafts from nearby warships to rescue as many trapped people as possible and minimize casualties."

The Minister of War said: "I obey your order! Please allow me to go down and make arrangements right away."

"Go!"

Lord Li took the order and immediately turned around and strode away.

After he left, Emperor Jiayou said again, "Lord Lin!"

Prime Minister Lin stepped out and said, "I am here!"

"I have drafted an edict. First, I order my uncle, Prince Chen, to serve as the angel of disaster relief. He is to bring thirty carts of medicine and sixty carts of grain. He is to lead six physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau, sixty medical workers, and thirty doctors to the disaster area to comfort the victims, treat the injured, and provide aid until the disaster is over.

Second, the Ministry of Rites will order the Vice Minister of the Honglu Temple to bring ten translators from neighboring countries to board a ship in the South China Sea. The South China Sea Navy will dispatch five ships to escort them in their quest for high-yield grains from other countries and bring them back."

Prime Minister Lin: "I obey your order."

Emperor Jiayou continued, "Ministers Cui and Zhou of the Ministry of Works, please step out."

Minister Cui and Zhou Dajiang stepped out at the same time, "I'm here!"

"Lord Cui, recruit one hundred craftsmen from all over the country. The Water Affairs Bureau will dispatch ten personnel to the disaster area immediately to inspect the levees and dikes alongside the military personnel. If the torrential rain continues, we will need to respond urgently."

Minister Cui: "I obey your order."

"Lord Zhou, I appoint you as Deputy Envoy for Disaster Relief. Set out after King Chen, bringing sixty carts of medicine, one hundred carts of grain, and two hundred craftsmen. You will investigate and repair any gaps and leaks, and carry out comprehensive repairs to the damaged embankments. If necessary, mobilize local officials and recruit the public to contribute to the repairs until they are complete!"

Zhou Dajiang: "I obey your order."

Zhou Dajiang then added, "Your Majesty, this disaster relief effort requires considerable funds. I suggest opening up donation channels for both officials and the public, encouraging wealthy merchants to donate money and supplies. Afterward, they can be commended or given appropriate rewards, such as tax reductions."

Emperor Jiayou clapped his hands and agreed, "This is a brilliant plan, my dear Lord Zheng!"

The Minister of Personnel stepped out and said, "I am here!"

"I order you to send personnel to assist the Ministry of Revenue in launching a disaster relief donation campaign. Donations of silver and supplies will be linked to tax burdens. You will come up with a plan and organize the campaign as soon as possible."

The Minister of Personnel: "I obey your order!"

Minister Zhuang saw that four of the six ministries had been mobilized, but only his own Ministry of Rites and Lord Gao of the Ministry of Justice hadn't been assigned any missions. The Ministry of Justice was responsible for criminal cases and had nothing to do with this matter. Normally, his own Ministry of Rites wouldn't be involved either, but Minister Zhuang wasn't willing to be left behind, so he stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, do you have any missions for me and Lord Gao?"

Gao Shangshu was dozing off, feeling sleepy from staying up late to read the files. Since he couldn't help with the matter, he took the opportunity to slack off. Unexpectedly, he was picked up by Zhuang Shangshu. Hearing someone calling him, he woke up with a start and hurried out to join the queue.

Emperor Jiayou could see clearly from above. Lord Gao was also old, and he couldn't bear to criticize him because of his hard work and great contributions. So he joked with them, "I don't have any tasks to assign to you two, my dear ministers at the moment. If you have compassion for the people, you can go to Lord Zheng and donate some more silver. It will be considered a contribution to the disaster area."

Minister Zhuang wiped his sweat, "Your Majesty obeys!"

Mr. Gao was innocently implicated and could not help but give Minister Zhuang a look. He also bowed and said, "I obey your order!"

Upon hearing this, Minister Zheng immediately bowed to the two ministers in gratitude. "On behalf of the people in the disaster area, I thank you both for your generosity! I will definitely record you both on the donation list and commend you so that more students around the world can see your noble character."

Lord Zhuang pretended to be humble and said, "It is our duty. As subjects, we should serve the king."

"Damn it!" Mr. Gao cursed inwardly. "You're picking on Zhou Dajiang's words. If you want to be righteous, you can just do it yourself. Why bring me along? Now not only do you have to donate, but you can't donate less! I really want to curse all eight generations of Zhuang Shangshu's ancestors. How could they have given birth to such a fool? He not only cheats himself, but also cheats people who have nothing to do with him!!!"