[Lightscreen]
[The Tang Dynasty declares this is not over yet.
A warm and humid climate was also beneficial to water resources in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Because of this, agricultural irrigation and fishing resources were both extremely abundant.
The shortening of cold periods extended the time suitable for crop growth. This point did not even require specific historical documents to prove. One could find records of it directly in literary works from the Tang and Song periods.
During the Tang Dynasty, wheat was harvested in April. During the Song Dynasty, it was harvested in May.
The earliest records of the double-cropping system in ancient times also appeared in the Tang Dynasty. This rather advanced agricultural technique may not have been fully implemented everywhere, but it was still capable of significantly increasing grain output.
From this, one could make a simple summary. Although the temperature difference was only about two degrees Celsius, the changes it brought about were nothing short of overwhelming.
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It allowed the Tang Dynasty to possess the greatest cultivated land area and the most pleasant climate of all dynasties. Because of this, it gained abundant food production and natural resources, ultimately creating the flourishing and magnificent High Tang recorded in history.
But it was also because of this that the Tang Dynasty's waste of natural resources might be considered the worst among all dynasties.]
At this moment, Liu Bei was genuinely stunned.
He leaned forward and glanced out the window.
This general's residence was one of the relatively well-preserved mansions from old Chang'an. After some simple repairs, traces of its former grandeur could still be seen, such as the two glazed windows that provided good lighting and ventilation.
At this moment, through the window, Liu Bei could clearly see the tree in the courtyard outside. Its leaves were not very large yet, obviously having sprouted not long ago.
It was already late April now, yet stepping outside, one could still feel the lingering chill of winter that had not fully dispersed.
But at the same time, in the Tang Dynasty, people had already finished harvesting their wheat.
At this moment, Liu Bei suddenly no longer found the Tang Dynasty's abundant martial spirit strange, nor did he envy it. All he wanted was that superior climate.
Earlier, after Kongming finished copying, he had briefly explained the basic meaning of the climate change chart to Liu Bei. Liu Bei had seen it clearly himself.
What they would face in the next hundred years was an irreversible cooling of the climate. The environment in the north would only become more and more harsh.
Kongming quietly suggested that in the future, they might need to begin developing the south in advance. At the same time, they would have to build strong armies and fortified cities along the Yellow River to deter the nomadic tribes and eliminate their ill intentions.
Under such circumstances, Liu Bei truly envied such a climate.
Rice could be grown north of the Yellow River?
Liu Bei did not even dare to imagine it.
At this time, however, Kongming had no leisure to speak further, because he was busy copying relevant passages from the Man Shu.
Beside him, Pang Tong and Fa Zheng both let out a sigh of relief. At least when it came to agriculture, neither of them was unfamiliar anymore.
"This method of planting rice and wheat in double harvests. Later generations call it advanced. That suggests this method is still in use in later times?"
Pang Tong had become extremely sensitive to these kinds of future-era terms. Just those two words made him take this farming method very seriously.
Fa Zheng had been stationed in Hanzhong for a long time and had become much darker in complexion. At the same time, he had grown even more adept in agricultural matters.
"If later generations can concisely summarize it as a double-cropping system, then this dual-harvest method is certainly not limited to rice and wheat."
"And since it can be called a system, its application must be widespread. The climate of later generations is not as warm as that of the Tang. Even if rice can be grown, it must require considerable effort."
"We could designate fields for experimentation and see whether crops like wheat and beans can also be double-cropped."
Kongming nodded slowly.
"Then I will trouble you with this, Xiaozhi."
The double-cropping system was something whose prospects were obvious at a glance. However, they did not possess the miraculous theories of later generations and could not clearly understand the subtle principles of different crops.
Therefore, if they wanted to attempt double-cropping beyond rice and wheat, they could only use the most basic method of slow experimentation.
Since Fa Zheng could see this so clearly, it was just right to assign this task to him.
Fa Zheng had no objections. To be honest, leaving Hanzhong to assist Lord Xuande in restoring Guanzhong was exactly what Fa Zheng had long yearned for.
After all, he was from Youfufeng, a genuine man of the Three Qins. How could returning home in glory be called tiring?
After assigning these matters, Kongming felt he could roughly imagine what would come next.
Such a favorable climate would certainly also make vegetation grow more easily. Moreover, in the early Tang, after years of chaos, the population was sparse.
Under such circumstances, Tang officials probably found it hard to care much about tree felling.
As the climate changed, the consequences of such neglect would quickly rebound upon the Tang Dynasty.
Those before cut down trees, those after suffer the consequences. Kongming deeply agreed with this saying.
And it seemed the Tang Dynasty did not even need to wait for later generations. It was already suffering retribution within its own era.
…
In the warm chamber of Bianjing, the dispute gradually subsided. Zhao Guangyi rubbed his shoulders and carefully sat down. Zhao Kuangyin still had lingering anger on his face, but since it was too dark, no one could see it.
Listening to the light screen's simple narration, Zhao Kuangyin also felt genuine envy from the bottom of his heart.
He was well aware of the differences between Song and Tang in terms of agriculture.
He just had not expected that behind the simple phrase "the climate turned colder" lay such complex issues.
So, like Liu Bei, he could not help but imagine what it would be like if Song could be like Tang.
Then he saw that Zhao Pu's expression was even more bitter than his own. Zhao Pu's complexion was relatively fair, so his expression was very clear.
"This favorable climate may not match Tang, but…"
Before Zhao Kuangyin could finish speaking, Zhao Pu shook his head and hoarsely uttered two words.
"The Yellow River."
Zhao Kuangyin instantly snapped awake.
Just now, he had only been focused on Tang's advantages and almost forgot the massive problem Tang had left behind.
The Yellow River.
The light screen spoke simply, but thinking back on it now, his entire back felt icy cold.
Treating symptoms but not the root cause.
The meaning was extremely straightforward, but what followed likely meant that the entire Song Dynasty would have to struggle endlessly against the Yellow River.
Oh, wait.
Southern Song seemed to have lost the Yellow River entirely.
Zhao Kuangyin's already dark face now looked as black as the bottom of a pot, for one simple reason.
Bianjing was right next to the Yellow River.
How to face the Yellow River would likely be an unprecedented challenge.
…
As for Li Shimin, he simply could not accept this.
Previously, he had openly mocked the weak Song, believing it unfit to be the dynasty that succeeded Tang.
Yet now it seemed that Song's weakness actually had something to do with Tang?
This was something Li Shimin absolutely could not accept.
"Starting tomorrow, investigate the coal mines within the Tang realm."
What later generations said might contain some exaggeration, but with the climate change chart as support, he also understood.
Such a climate would last at most two hundred years. After that, the trend toward colder conditions would not change due to the will of an emperor or a Heavenly Khan.
Now that Tang's history had already begun to shift, the Tang Dynasty might last another hundred years, or it might collapse early due to some unforeseen event.
But regardless, they had to think for the sake of their descendants.
After all, even if dynasties changed and emperors shifted, those who would continue to live and multiply on this land would still be the people of Huaxia.