Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Who was the biggest obstacle to the land survey in Sichuan?

Many people can probably name him: the King of Shu.

As one of the earliest feudal princes, the Shu Prince's Palace made many contributions to the restoration of Sichuan and occupied a lot of land.

It is almost universally acknowledged that "the wealth of the Shu Kingdom surpassed that of all the royal palaces in the world".

To thoroughly survey the lands of Sichuan, one cannot bypass the Shu vassal state.

Han Kuang submitted a memorial to the emperor, stating:
"During the Wanli era, Kong Zhenyi, the Sichuan Provincial Inspector, said:"

"Of the fertile lands of Sichuan, seven-tenths are owned by the royal family, two-tenths by military garrisons, and only one-tenth by the common people."

"When the Shu King's Palace reduced its guards, it acquired two guards to cultivate land."

"They also collaborated with temples and monasteries, occupying large amounts of land and abusing the privileges of offering incense and other forms of tax exemption."

"I believe that the 'Regulations on the Imperial Clan' should be strictly enforced and the personnel of the Shu vassal state should be investigated."

This is clearly a ruthless attack on the Shu vassal state, since any vassal king could be found to have a host of problems.

In the past, Han Kuang would not have dared to offend the vassal kings easily, but now he has even offended the gentry in the south, let alone the vassal kings who have no real power.

Knowing the emperor's intentions, he planned to find fault with the Shu vassal state and force them to open up to foreign trade.

All the land belonging to the Shu vassal state was confiscated by the government and became official land of the imperial court.

Zhu Youjian was quite pleased with this, because he was also having a major headache dealing with the Shu vassal state.

This line of vassal kings has always been known for its virtue and wisdom, unlike the Chu vassal state, which has a lot of troubles.

If he were to take action against the Shu vassal state without cause, it would likely make other vassal kings feel insecure.

Zhu Youjian, unwilling to make things too ugly, did not want to personally take charge.

Now that Han Kuang is willing to step forward, he'll just sit back and watch.

However, it was certainly not permissible to target members of the imperial clan under false pretenses. Zhu Youjian reprimanded Qian Qianyi, saying:

"You are the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, managing temples and Taoist monasteries is your duty, so why haven't you submitted any reports on these matters?"

“In the future, religious sites such as temples and monasteries must be strictly restricted. The total number of religious sites in each region shall not exceed the number of temples under the jurisdiction of the City God.”

"The property of temples in various places should be strictly limited, just like in the capital. Temples with substantial income should also be subject to religious taxes."

"Don't make me urge you to do everything. Be more proactive."

Qian Qianyi was scolded until he was red in the face, never expecting that he would suffer such an undeserved disaster.

He has been busy with the affairs of the Hanlin Academy this year, and has inevitably neglected the work of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Now the emperor wanted to find a reason to take action against the Shu vassal state, and used this as an excuse to make a fuss.

Qian Qianyi hurriedly assured him that he would thoroughly investigate the collusion between the various princely residences and temples/palaces. Several members of the imperial clan whose relocation to their fiefdoms had not yet been finalized were added to his list.
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Zhu Youjian arranged this matter and then discussed the allocation of 300 million mu of high-standard farmland with Han Kuang and others.

According to Han Kuang's estimate, many places in Southern Zhili can guarantee a good harvest regardless of drought or flood, and 80 million mu of high-yield farmland should be able to be surveyed.

The same applies to Jiangxi and Zhejiang. These areas receive a lot of rainfall, and as long as water conservancy is managed well, it's not difficult to ensure a good harvest regardless of drought or flood. The combined arable land of the two provinces can also reach 80 million mu.

Hubei and Hunan are now the granaries of the Ming Dynasty, with a combined grain production of at least 80 million tons.

Adding to the 30 million mu in Sichuan and 30 million mu in Guangdong, the total is 300 million mu of high-standard farmland.

This amount is sufficient, but Zhu Youjian felt it was too tight, without considering any margin. After thinking it over, he said:
"Although Fujian has very little arable land, its water and heat conditions are quite good, so it should be able to create several million mu of high-yield farmland." "The same goes for Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou. These four provinces combined should be able to produce ten million mu."

"This will result in 310 million mu of high-standard farmland in the south. Starting next year, we will promote the project according to the target of 300 million mu, leaving 10 million mu of flexible space."

"If there are areas that are indeed not up to standard, the imperial court will understand."

“For example, Huaibei, which is prone to floods and droughts, and Zhejiang, which is frequently hit by high tides, should be given some space.”

This decision was praised by officials from Zhejiang and Jiangbei, and other ministers also recognized the emperor's benevolence.

Furthermore, to demonstrate that the whole country was united as one, Zhu Youjian said:
"Shandong and Beizhili suffered severe flooding this year, so we must expedite the repair of water conservancy facilities and create high-standard farmland."

"The target for both areas is 30 million mu, and this number should be higher, not lower."

"The water conservancy in Guanzhong is well-maintained, and Shanxi also has rivers such as the Fen River for irrigation. Both provinces should aim to cultivate tens of millions of acres of fertile land to ensure a good harvest."

"Henan has more than 70 million mu of farmland. Let Fan Jingwen do a good job in water conservancy and strive to develop 20 million mu."

In this way, 100 million mu of high-standard farmland were also built in the north, showing that Zhu Youjian did not treat the north and south differently. It was just that due to the conditions, it was difficult to build more high-standard farmland in the north.

If all these measures can be implemented, the goal of 400 million mu and 30 million shi (a unit of dry measure) is achievable.

The imperial court's finances will be more abundant than ever before, and it may even be able to allocate tens of millions of bushels of grain for disaster relief.

This was Zhu Youjian's internal preparation; externally, he also had plans to develop Dongning Island, Liaohetao, Annam, Pingjiang, and other places.

Apart from Annam, most of these places are sparsely populated. As long as there is a harvest of grain, most of it can be sold.

These were the commodity grain bases planned by Zhu Youjian, serving as the source of grain for the capital and the nine border regions.

Moreover, Zhu Youjian did not give up on the difficult-to-cultivate lands in the north, instructing the Ministry of Agriculture:
"The Ministry of Agriculture should not only focus on agriculture, but also pay attention to forestry, animal husbandry and fishery."

"The mountains and forests in Northeast China can support a million people just by hunting and selling timber."

"Livestock can also be raised on the grasslands of Northeast China and southern Inner Mongolia, reducing grain intake by feeding them meat."

"The same applies to aquaculture and fishing. Raising chickens, ducks, pigs, and fishing can all partially replace grain."

"The imperial court must make full preparations to deal with the major disaster. Anyone who is negligent or negligent will be severely punished."

The more he spoke, the more severe his tone became, emphasizing once again the importance of disaster relief.

After the threat of expelling the Jurchens, what Zhu Youjian needed to deal with with all his might was the rebellion of displaced people.

He instructed the Privy Council to report on the bandit suppression plans for various regions and ordered strengthened surveillance of displaced people. All displaced people who lost their jobs and land were to be sent overseas.

The completion of the Yancang Highway, the construction of the Longhai Highway, and the Huang-Huai-Hai intermodal transport were all included in the plan as routes for migrants to travel.

This also requires a large sum of money. Thinking about the money that had not yet arrived, Bi Ziyan frowned once again.

In particular, when the emperor decided to develop the combined transport system of the Yellow River, Huai River, and Grand Canal, he also ordered a comprehensive overhaul of the waterways. This would be a massive project that could last for decades, placing a continuous financial burden on the Ministry of Revenue.

However, this task could not be ignored, because repairing the Yellow River was something that every dynasty had to do. If it was not done well, it could very well lead to the downfall of the country.

Given the emperor's prediction of an impending severe drought, mobilizing the disaster victims to construct water conservancy projects was an essential task.

The imperial court can also take this opportunity to make proper plans and strive to stabilize the chaotic Yellow River and Huai River systems.

This project will be undertaken after the Liao River and Hai River have been repaired, at which point the imperial court will have accumulated sufficient experience. (End of Chapter)