Zhu Mo's pressing concern differed from that of Zhang Juzheng and the others.
An old saying goes, "After a great battle comes a famine." This battle had exhausted all efforts. Ten to thirty percent of the rural population was already displaced, not to mention the turmoil of the past two months which had brought all large workshops to a halt. These hundreds of thousands of Qi Nu were now homeless and without purpose.
Thus, the problem became glaringly obvious—
Grain.
Fortunately, it was only March, and there was still time for planting.
Zhu Mo had also decided that his focus would ultimately be on the imperial farms. The donated lands had been mostly cleared, and reforms would commence immediately after the war.
Furthermore, his travels through Jiangnan during this period had revealed the potential for reclamation: transforming tidal flats, utilizing gaps within forests, and even reclaiming arable land occupied by temples and monasteries. Overall, arable land was in surplus.
In fact, during his previous debate with them on the grain issue, he had already conceived a feasible method: the "agricultural reclamation model."
The total of ninety thousand Qi Nu not only lacked land but many also lacked shelter. This would inevitably lead to unrest. Moreover, they represented a significant labor force. If organized, they could take over vast tracts of imperial and unclaimed land, and also engage in reclamation. By housing them together initially and building some structures, gradual improvements over two to three years could transform these into agricultural reclamation settlements.
This was, in essence, an old method, more efficient than small-scale farming but not significantly so without technological advancements. Throughout history, it had been used to resolve survival issues after major turmoil. However, these Qi Nu could be organized according to the Baojia system, giving them better organizational capabilities than ordinary farmers. Besides land allocation, they could experiment with some newer agricultural machinery for larger-scale planting and improve irrigation and soil management.
Zhu Mo briefly explained these ideas to Zhang Juzheng.
Zhang Juzheng listened intently, lost in thought for a while before saying, "Zi Xuan, this is essentially the Weisuo system, just not for border defense and warfare, but for agricultural cultivation—agricultural Weisuo..."
Oh?
Brilliant!
Zhu Mo was genuinely impressed—
This man was truly extraordinary. If he had explained this to others, even the learned scholar Gui Youguang, they would likely only think of the border garrisons of the Han Dynasty or the military colonies of Cao Wei. But Zhang Juzheng was a step above, thinking of the founding Emperor's Weisuo system and even calling it agricultural Weisuo? This was remarkable.
"Brother Taiyue, you always manage to cut to the chase... Yes, I was unclear what this method could be compared to. Your explanation makes it clear; it is indeed agricultural Weisuo, with We as the larger entities and Suo as the smaller ones. I see that many coastal Weisuo in Jinshan, Zhenhai, and Taizhou have fallen into disuse. Although much of their land has been redistributed, much of it lies fallow... Brother Taiyue, these Qi Nu, after the war, can be settled in these places, becoming true agricultural Weisuo..."
Mm-hmm.
Zhang Juzheng also smiled and said, "Zi Xuan, you always conceive of what others cannot. I have read extensively, yet I do not possess as many good methods as you. Is this perhaps divinely ordained?"
Thinking of agricultural machinery, Zhu Mo suddenly remembered someone and asked, "Brother Taiyue, do you know Ouyang Bijing? How old is he, and is he still capable?"
Zhang Juzheng responded with an "Oh" and immediately realized, smiling, "Zi Xuan, you are truly remarkable! This man, indeed, was obsessed with mechanisms his entire life, inventing a type of plow frame. I don't know if it's usable, but it's likely similar to Zhuge Liang's wooden ox and flowing horse... This man was originally Yan Song's brother-in-law. He is nearing sixty, served as Minister of Works for a period, and later had disagreements with Yan Shifan, so he retired to his hometown. He must be around sixty this year..."
Unbeknownst to him,
Zhu Mo had already seen the blueprints from the system. This damned system never surpassed the era, but whatever existed in this era and could be found was essentially there.
Ouyang Bijing had invented a human-powered winch and pulley system that could convert human power into the rotational motion of a plow. Its rating was high, but it was not passed down to later generations. Furthermore, Ouyang Bijing was also knowledgeable in water management, ranking highly in the Ming Dynasty's talent pool.
Upon hearing that the man was still alive, Zhu Mo immediately picked up a pen and paper, smiling, "Brother Taiyue, I wish to invite him to oversee the post-war agricultural Weisuo. This man is simply too suitable..."
Zhang Juzheng looked surprised and asked, "Now? Perhaps after the war?"
Zhu Mo smiled and replied, "Precisely before the war, to show sincerity and to see if he is still enthusiastic... What is his courtesy name?"
Zhang Juzheng replied, "His courtesy name is Renfu."
Zhu Mo picked up his pen and wrote:
"Zhu Mo respectfully bows twice:
It is said that those who assist the ruler with principle do not strengthen the realm with military might. Zhu Mo is a mere youth, forced to use force. I know that where armies tread, thorns will grow, and after a great army, there will surely be years of famine. Now, the Japanese pirates have infiltrated, and a large army will soon be mobilized in the regions of Suzhou and Hangzhou, the devastation of which is known. I have heard that Master Renfu is skilled in mechanisms, and his invented plow frame can fully utilize physical principles, allowing two men to do the work of one ox, greatly amplifying human power. I have also heard that you are well-versed in water management, which leads me to believe you are an extraordinary person destined to revitalize Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Mo advocates for reform, liberating ninety thousand Qi Nu, and intends to establish agricultural Weisuo settlements on the coast of the East Sea. You, sir, have long possessed strategies for agricultural development and expertise in mechanisms, hence I respectfully invite Master Ren to preside over this grand plan, entrusting all matters to you. At a time of imminent conflict, I have been too busy to call on you thrice, yet my intentions are sincere. Zhu Mo."
After reading it, Zhang Juzheng also picked up his pen, wrote "Juzheng" at the end, and smiled, "Zi Xuan, you do not know, this man and I have a considerable personal acquaintance. Such a good deed, such fine writing, how could I not affix my name... Hahaha..."
The two men laughed heartily and sent someone to the post station that day.
...
That night,
For no apparent reason, a torrential downpour suddenly began.
Zhu Mo was restless. He slept for a while and then woke up again. Deciding to go to Hulu Mountain Water Village, he left immediately. Braving the heavy rain, he departed the city on horseback with ten riflemen.
After riding for over an hour, it was dawn. They were still more than twenty li from Hulu Mountain. The rain suddenly lessened, but a dense fog began to roll in.
Zhu Mo reined in his horse and ascended a small hill. He saw the vast expanse of land suddenly obscured by mist and inwardly cursed: I shouldn't have slept for those few hours; I should have rushed here right after the meeting...
While he hesitated, a rider on a fast horse galloped past on the official road through the dense forest. However, the rider immediately pulled back, turned around, and shouted, "Is Scholar Zhu here?"
The riflemen barked, "Who are you?"
The man was a sailor and a personal guard of General Yu Dayou. He had seen the riflemen and Zhu Mo before. After gazing for a moment, he saw Zhu Mo dismounting and leading his horse, and suddenly shouted, "Scholar Zhu! General Yu sent me to Hangzhou to inform you, the Japanese pirates have landed!"
Hiss!
Zhu Mo, soaked through, felt a chilling cold and blurted out, "It is indeed today! Where did they land?"
The man replied, "The Japanese pirates landed about half an hour ago in the Turtle Mountain area. General Yu has already assembled his troops, please hasten to the water village, Scholar Zhu!"
"Alright!"
Zhu Mo remounted his horse and said, "You go to Hangzhou again and inform Zhang Juzheng and Zhang Han!"
With that,
He waved his hand and, with the ten riflemen, galloped away.