Chương 134: Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

He stood there stunned for a long time before stammering, "My... my lord, how many of these... this stuff can be printed in a day?"

"If you're skilled, printing several hundred copies a day is no problem."

Liu Ce continued, "If we carve several sets of type blocks and type several printing plates at the same time, it's not impossible to print a thousand copies a day."

Shen Wansan's mind raced: "Printing books... printing notices... printing agricultural books... printing military treatises... my God, how much money could I make!"

He suddenly grabbed Liu Ce's hand: "My lord! You've taught me all these techniques?"

"I've taught them all."

Liu Ce patted him on the shoulder, "From now on, production and sales are in your hands. The profits will be used to expand the army, govern, and pay salaries. I want you to make Youzhou incredibly wealthy within three years!"

Shen Wansan puffed out his chest, his confidence soaring: "Rest assured, my lord! I guarantee the business will flourish! With your strong army and ample supplies, you'll have the resources to not only defeat the Wuhuan and Xianbei, but conquer the entire world!"

Liu Ce laughed heartily: "Good! That's the kind of spirit I wanted!"

The two stood in the courtyard, one laughing heartily, the other blushing with excitement.

Sunlight shone on the piles of salt, wine jars, papers, and blocks of writing, making them gleam with a golden light.

Looking at all this, Shen Wansan felt as if he were seeing mountains of gold and silver beckoning to him.

Liu Ce's vision extended further: with these technologies, the business genius Shen Wansan, and the Zhen family, Youzhou's economy could be revitalized. A thriving economy would allow for more soldiers, better equipment, and more fortified cities.

At that time, the Wuhuan and Xianbei, and the separatist rule of the feudal lords, will all be nothing but fleeting clouds.

...

Liu Ce smiled at Shen Wansan and said, "You can sell these wines, salts, and paper, or you can continue to research them to make them even better. You can make low-strength, medium-strength, and high-strength wines, and sell them according to their price from low to high. Then, print and store the books I brought back from Luoyang. Don't sell them. You can sell the paper you make."

"A pound of salt costs 3 qian; a sheet of Cai Hou paper costs 5 qian, so let's start by selling a sheet for 1 qian. A liter of low-proof liquor will cost 4 qian, and you can decide the rest based on the situation."

After giving Shen Wansan his business instructions, Liu Ce felt much more at ease seeing the God of Wealth's eyes shining and his eagerness to get started.

With fine salt, liquor, and cheap paper as the "three driving forces," it should only be a matter of time before Youzhou's economy takes off.

"Remember that."

Before leaving, Liu Ce added, "Use the money you earn to buy food and fodder first. That's exactly what we need right now."

Shen Wansan patted his chest and assured him, "My lord, rest assured! I've been in business for so many years and I've never lost money! I guarantee that money will make money, and grain will produce more grain!"

Liu Ce nodded in satisfaction, then strolled away with his hands behind his back.

A day later, Liu Ce, carrying a sack of things on his back and humming a little tune, strolled to the governor's mansion.

The sack didn't look big, but it was bulging with contents.

Liu Ce carried it on his back, swaying with every step, like a delivery peddler—except his clothes were too nice to look like one.

He encountered several early-rising villagers on the road. Seeing his attire—carrying a sack and humming a tune—they all looked at him curiously.

"Isn't that the Marquis of Champions?"

"Why is Your Excellency carrying these things yourself?"

"Shh, keep your voice down, the Marquis is here to observe the people's conditions!"

Liu Ce heard this and chuckled inwardly: Investigating the people's plight? I'm going to feed the pigs... no, I'm going to feed the strategists.

Upon entering the governor's mansion council hall, wow, it was bustling with activity, like a battlefield.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Xun Yu sat around a huge map, pointing at it with their fingers and muttering to themselves.

Tian Feng and Ju Shou were checking the account books, their abacuses clicking away. Chen Gong was writing an official document, his pen almost leaving afterimages.

Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai—these two were cornered by Xun Yu to handle household registration documents, with a pile of bamboo slips in front of them taller than a person.

Guo Jia looked utterly dejected, but when he saw Liu Ce enter, his eyes lit up instantly, as if he had seen a savior.

"Hey, everyone's here!"

Liu Ce greeted him with a smile, "Pretty busy, huh?"

Everyone looked up, their expressions varied.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui greeted him with polite smiles, as if to say, "My lord, you have arrived." Xun Yu, on the other hand, wore a serious expression, as if to say, "I have something to report."

Guo Jia's eyes held an expectant look, as if saying, "My savior has arrived, please take me away!" Xi Zhicai's expression was one of helpless bitterness, as if saying, "Look at Fengxiao's behavior."

Fang Xuanling smiled and said, "My lord, you've arrived. The land survey data from several counties in Youzhou has just been sent over, and we are currently verifying it..."

"There are also accounts for the food consumption during the resettlement of displaced people."

Du Ruhui added, "My lord, if this continues, our food reserves won't last more than three months."

Xun Yu rubbed his temples: "The policy plans of the newly appointed governors of each prefecture also need to be reviewed..."

Guo Jia wailed, "My lord! Help! My eyes are blurry from reading these household registration documents! I want to drink! I want to slack off!"

Liu Ce looked at the room full of faces that seemed to be filled with bitterness and resentment, and laughed.

"Alright, alright, I know you've been working hard."

He put the sack on the ground.

"Let's rest for a bit, and then we'll have something good to eat."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the backyard.

Guo Jia called out from behind, "My lord, where are you going?"

"Go get you some good stuff!"

Liu Ce replied without turning his head, "I'll come see you all later!"

The group was left looking at each other in bewilderment.

Guo Jia muttered under his breath, "What kind of trouble is the Marquis up to now..."

Xi Zhicai was also curious: "What's in that sack? It looks quite heavy."

Who cares?

Guo Jia lay down on the floor.

"I'd even put stones in my hands if it meant I could just rest for a while."

Liu Ce went to the backyard of the governor's mansion and summoned several servants.

"Here, take this to the kitchen."

He pulled out a dozen or so round, rustic-looking things from the sack—potatoes and sweet potatoes.

"Wash them clean and put them in the stove to roast. Remember, roast them until the skin is golden brown and the inside is soft and tender."

The servants stared blankly at these unfamiliar "clods of earth": "My lord, this... this is edible?"

"nonsense!"

Liu Ce laughed, "If you can't eat it, I'll let you grill it? Go on, go on!"

The servants dared not ask any more questions and took the potatoes and sweet potatoes to the kitchen.

Liu Ce sat in the courtyard waiting.

With nothing to do, he counted on his fingers: potatoes and sweet potatoes yielded more than 50 shi per mu, millet yielded 3 shi per mu... The difference was like the difference between a bicycle and a supercar.

Once potatoes and sweet potatoes are planted on a large scale in Youzhou, the food problem will be solved.

At that time, supporting more than a million refugees would be no problem, let alone doubling the number.

"Science and technology are the primary productive forces."

Liu Ce sighed, "No, for me, the system is the primary productive force..."

Just then, a servant returned with roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes.

"My lord, it's ready."

Wow, it's baked really well! The outer skin is golden brown and crispy, and the golden potato flesh is revealed through the cracks, smelling delicious.

Liu Ce nodded in satisfaction: "Let's go, let's deliver some warmth to our great heroes!"

He personally carried the plate back to the council chamber.

The hall was still bustling with activity.