My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 447 How to Ensure Every Person in the Tang Dynasty Has Food
In the autumn of the twenty-fourth year of the Zhenguan era, a solemn atmosphere permeated the beams and pillars of the Taiji Hall.

Li Chengqian sat upright in the main seat, with the "Autumn Grain Report Book" of the prefectures and counties across the country spread out on the table. He circled the words "the harvest in Jiangnan was 30% poor" and "the grain price in Longyou rose slightly" in red ink. His voice carried through the silence of the hall to the officials: "Three years after the implementation of the new policy, commercial taxes have increased and workshops have prospered, but the people's rice bowl is still not secure."

"The successful trial planting of triple-cropping rice in Lingnan is still insufficient to withstand droughts and floods in the Central Plains; the money shops that stabilize grain prices are ultimately 'blocking' rather than 'dredging'. Today's court meeting will focus on only one matter: how to ensure that every citizen of the Tang Dynasty has enough to eat."

The officials stood solemnly, and only the sound of breathing could be heard in the hall.

Food is the foundation of a prosperous era, but it is subject to limitations in farming techniques, irrigation conditions, and soil fertility. This difficult problem weighed heavily on the minds of every minister.

Li Chengqian himself didn't have any good solutions, so he put the problem to be solved in the imperial court.

I don't expect to be able to completely solve it, but perhaps I can give him some inspiration.

Fang Xuanling stepped forward first, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, this old minister believes that the problem of food shortage is half due to production and half due to transportation. Last year, the Jiangnan region had a bumper harvest, but due to the blockage of the canal, 30% of the grain was moldy on the way; when Guanzhong was short of grain, the grain stored in Shu could not be transported in."

"I suggest expanding the three major granaries in Luoyang, Chang'an, and Yangzhou, extending the 'everlasting granary' system to the prefectures and counties, establishing 'charitable granaries' in each county to store grain, and simultaneously dredging the Bian River and Han Canal, using new-style grain transport boats, which can reduce losses by 40%."
"In this way, grain can be stored to prevent famine in years of plenty, and grain can be allocated to disaster relief in years of famine. Although it cannot increase production, it can make the grain come alive and reduce waste."

Changsun Wuji then stepped forward and said, "What Chancellor Fang said is very true, but if we only focus on storage and transportation and not on cultivation, the granaries will eventually be empty."

"I believe that we should strengthen the assessment of agriculture and sericulture, and compare the performance of county and prefecture officials with the increase in yield per mu and the amount of wasteland reclaimed. Those who have no increase for three years should be demoted."

"At the same time, we sent scholars who had passed the imperial examinations to the countryside to teach people how to use new agricultural tools. We promoted millet-wheat rotation in the north and tried planting double-cropping rice in the south. The Ministry of Revenue allocated silver to subsidize rice seeds."

After a pause, Changsun Wuji said seriously, "The key is implementation. The 'Essential Techniques for Agriculture and Sericulture' issued last year has been shelved by many prefectures and counties. We need to send inspectors to conduct strict checks to ensure that agricultural techniques are truly implemented in the fields and among the people."

Wei Zheng frowned, and as he stepped forward, his voice was urgent: "What the two gentlemen say is all good, but it does not address the root of the problem!"

“Now, in Guanzhong and Henan, 30% of the fertile land has been seized by nobles and powerful families. The common people are renting the land from these powerful families, and 30% of the yield per mu goes to the landlords, leaving them with only 70%. How can they possibly be fed?”

"Your Highness, I request that you strictly order a thorough investigation of hidden lands. All lands occupied by powerful families should be distributed to landless people according to the equal land system. At the same time, it should be stipulated that 'perpetual lands may not be bought or sold,' and those who violate this rule should have their lands confiscated and returned to the farmers."

Then he emphasized, "Without land, there is no grain; without grain, there is instability. Without curbing land annexation, no matter how much storage we have or how good our agricultural techniques are, we will never be able to fill the private granaries of the powerful!"

Wei Zheng was a ruthless man.

They immediately started attacking the powerful teams.

If this had happened before the Zhenguan era, Wei Zheng certainly wouldn't have proposed this plan in order to maintain social stability.

After all, there is a lot of resistance going down there, and it is highly likely that all the work will be in vain and will not be able to be truly implemented.

However, under the new policy, government orders reached the county seat directly, and imperial power was unprecedentedly strong, making it feasible to forcefully investigate hidden farmland.

Chu Suiliang glanced at Wei Zheng but didn't say anything more. At this point, it would be pointless to attack Wei Zheng's remarks, even though most people in the court belonged to the 'powerful' category.

But there's nothing wrong with these words; many people can see them, but those who benefit from the system dare not speak out.

Now that it's been said, let's see how the Crown Prince decides.

But he couldn't remain silent, so he said, "The land issue that Lord Wei mentioned cannot be resolved in a day."

"During my recent inspections in Jiangnan, I discovered that improvements to agricultural tools can yield immediate results."

"The newly built 'water-powered spinning wheel' by Bailian Division can save manpower. If it is transformed into a 'water-powered dragon bone wheel', the irrigation efficiency can be doubled."

"In addition, I have introduced 'drought-resistant beans' from the Western Regions. They can be planted in barren mountainous areas. Although the yield per mu is not as high as that of wheat and rice, they can save people from famine in years of hardship."

The cold-resistant bean is the chickpea of ​​later generations. Chu Suiliang did not directly address Wei Zheng's issue on land, but instead changed his approach to avoid it.

"I request that drought-resistant beans be planted on a trial basis in Longyou and northern Shaanxi. At the same time, the Ministry of Works should be instructed to mass-produce new waterwheels, with the Ministry of Commerce taking the lead in sending craftsmen to the countryside to build them. The people can pay for the labor with grain, which will increase their income without depleting the national treasury."

Many court officials agreed with Chu Suiliang's viewpoint, which was actually to gain favor with the crown prince and protect their own interests.

This is where the conflict between the power of the subject and the power of the emperor lies.

The powerful families relied on their power. Even though Li Chengqian faced top ministers in the central court, those who were in the central court had almost no say and were considered 'minor officials' in Li Chengqian's eyes.

If he were placed in a local position, he would definitely be a top-tier official.

Even if a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue is an honest official, his clan will still have many people currying favor with him, spontaneously forming a powerful force.

This is the influence of power; you don't need to do it proactively.

Therefore, most officials naturally did not want the Crown Prince to take Wei Zheng's remarks on investigating land seriously, but they did not dare to say it directly, so they could only support Chu Suiliang indirectly.

After all, Chu Suiliang's remarks were quite reasonable and there was nothing wrong with them.

Li Chengqian glanced at Chu Suiliang indifferently, but didn't say anything more; it wasn't the right time yet.

Although with his current power, there would be no obstacle to his forceful actions, the results of investigating the entire territory of the Tang Dynasty would be minimal.

This requires a large number of people, but these people are also beneficiaries, so they will naturally collude with each other.

Even among the new generation of officials, those scholars from humble backgrounds, once they entered the court, they still had a large number of people currying favor with them.

This is a problem of our time, and it cannot be solved with just a few words.

Xiao Yu, the Minister of Ceremonies, with his white hair and beard, stepped forward and said, "Gentlemen, you all value 'technique' but neglect 'rites'."

"I believe that the 'personal plowing ceremony' should be restored, with His Highness the Crown Prince leading all officials to personally plow the imperial field during the spring plowing season, to demonstrate the importance attached to agriculture."

"At the same time, 'agricultural and sericultural societies' were set up in prefectures and counties, where people gathered every month to learn about agriculture and sericulture, and 'skilled farmers' were commended, given cloth and exempted from corvée labor, so as to stimulate the people's enthusiasm for farming."

The officials in the hall offered their opinions one after another, partly to show off in front of His Highness, and partly to downplay Wei Zheng's remarks.

Some suggested "repairing water conservancy projects in Guanzhong," others proposed "reducing or exempting agricultural taxes," and still others suggested "raising government cattle and lending them to farmers." Amidst the discussions, all were pragmatic proposals.

Li Chengqian listened quietly; these suggestions were all excellent. Fang Xuanling's storage and transportation could reduce consumption, Changsun Wuji's assessment could promote learning, Wei Zheng's equal land distribution could protect the people, Chu Suiliang's new crops could alleviate famine, and Xiao Yu's encouragement of agriculture could inspire people's spirits... But he knew that these were only improvements, not solutions.

The limitations of our time are like an invisible wall.

Without chemical fertilizers, soil fertility is hard to maintain; without machinery, relying entirely on human and animal power, the yield per acre is at its limit.

Without large-scale water conservancy projects, droughts and floods can still easily destroy a year's hard work.

The ministers' suggestions were merely attempts to maneuver within the walls, but they couldn't actually tear down the walls.

Li Chengqian raised his hand to signal for silence, his voice steady: "The suggestions of all my ministers can be adopted. Minister Fang will be in charge of granaries and canal transport, Minister Changsun will be in charge of agricultural technology assessment, Minister Wei will lead the investigation of hidden fields, Minister Chu will test new planting tools, and Minister Xiao will resume the ceremony of personally plowing the fields."

He then rose and swept his gaze across the officials: "But we all know that this is not enough. The grain problem is the 'Achilles' heel' of the Tang Dynasty's golden age, and it requires generations to tackle. From today onwards, we will establish the 'Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau,' which will be in charge of increasing grain production. It will be led by Chancellor Fang, with the cooperation of all the ministers. I will receive a report from them once a month."

The hall fell silent once more, and the officials bowed to receive the order: "Your subjects obey His Highness the Crown Prince's command!"

Li Chengqian understood that he might never be able to completely solve this problem in his lifetime, but as long as every year an extra mu of grain was harvested and every household stored an extra dou of rice, the foundation of the prosperous era would be more stable.

Perhaps the best solution is to hope that someone will actually bring back potato seeds from the Americas.

What Li Chengqian didn't expect was that he would soon reap the rewards.
-
In the alley outside the Prince of Jin's mansion.

Li Yifu, dressed in a faded blue robe, stared blankly at the tax card of the inspection office on the street corner, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the goldfish pouch at his waist that had long lost its luster.

That was a token personally bestowed upon him by Emperor Gaozong when he served as the Chief Secretary to the Prince of Jin, but now it had become a useless decoration.

In the twentieth year of the Zhenguan era, before the glint of swords at Xuanwu Gate had faded, Li Chengqian's new policies spread throughout Chang'an like spring rain.

As the chief secretary of Prince Li Zhi of Jin, Li Yifu was once a dark horse in the struggle for the throne.

He thought he could use the Prince of Jin to rise to power and enter the center of power, but reality gave him a harsh blow.

After Li Chengqian seized power, although he did not mistreat Li Zhi and retained the title and salary of Prince of Jin, he transferred all the officials in the Prince's mansion. Li Yifu, the core strategist, was the first to be affected and was given the sinecure of "Zhu Zuo Lang" (a minor official in charge of writings). He could no longer even step into the Prince of Jin's mansion.

For the first two years, Li Yifu lived like a caged beast.

He moved out of the official residence next to the Prince of Jin's residence and into a small alley near the West Market. The bustling scene in front of his house disappeared, replaced by the noise of taverns and the cries of vendors.

He often drank alone late at night, cursing at the empty courtyard: "Why? Should I, Li Yifu, be confined to this dilapidated house copying books?"

On one occasion, he bumped into his former subordinate at a tavern.

Now in charge of the Inspection Department, he was checking accounts with the commercial tax ledgers, and said in a lighthearted conversation, "His Highness the Crown Prince values ​​capable officials, regardless of their background."

Fueled by alcohol, Li Yifu stepped forward to strike up a conversation, but the other party merely gave a perfunctory bow: "Young Master Li is fortunate to have such a leisurely life now."

The aloofness in her tone pierced his heart like a needle. He smashed his wine cup and staggered away in astonishment, his back hunched like a shrimp in the lamplight.

What truly lifted him from his despair was a torrential rain in the twenty-second year of the Zhenguan era.

That year, Guanzhong suffered from floods, and Li Yifu was trapped in an alley. Just as the rainwater was overflowing his doorstep, he saw a group of officials in "Agricultural and Sericultural Affairs" uniforms walking through the mud. They were carrying blueprints for a new type of waterwheel and were going from house to house teaching the people how to reinforce their field ridges.

A young official recognized him and bowed to ask, "Young Master Li once discussed agriculture and sericulture at the Prince of Jin's residence. Do you think this 'Dragon Bone Waterwheel Improvement Method' can make drainage faster?"

At that moment, Li Yifu was stunned.

He looked at the blueprints in the clerk's hand, covered with dense annotations and precise dimensions—all "practical knowledge" he had never encountered before.

What alarmed him even more was that when these young officials spoke of His Highness the Crown Prince, there was no reverence in their eyes, only a focused dedication to getting things done.

This was completely different from the political intrigue he was familiar with.

That night, he pulled out the "Essentials of the New Policies," a pamphlet published after Li Chengqian seized power, which he had previously been too lazy to even look at. But by the light of an oil lamp, he began to read seriously for the first time the articles on "Reform of Commercial Taxes in the Bureau of Revenue and Commerce," "Performance Evaluation Standards for the Practical Affairs Section," and "Agricultural Technology Extension in the Bureau of Agriculture and Sericulture," and the more he read, the more alarmed he became.

Li Chengqian's new policies were indeed based on "appointing people according to their abilities."

Those who could keep clear accounts went to the Ministry of Revenue, those who understood agricultural techniques went to the Department of Agriculture and Sericulture, and even Persian merchants in the Western Market could obtain the title of "Honorary Maritime Trade Commissioner" based on their trade volume.

“I don’t care about background, I only care about ability…” Li Yifu muttered to himself, and suddenly pushed the wine jar aside.

He recalled that when he was young, he entered officialdom through the Mingjing examination, relying on his hard skills of "having a photographic memory and being able to write fluently".

I recall the sharp insights he gained when drafting policy proposals for Li Zhi, his precise analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the court. Perhaps what he lost was not opportunity, but the ability to adapt to new rules.

From that day on, Li Yifu changed. He no longer went to taverns to drown his sorrows, but instead brought snacks to the Quanxue Academy to "crash" classes, listening to the doctoral students in the practical department talk about "mathematics and tax accounting".

He ran to the bulletin board of the Huitong Company, copied down the monthly "Commercial Tax Increase/Decrease Table", and pondered the logic behind the numbers.

He even followed the officials of the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau to the countryside to see how they taught the people to use curved plows to cultivate the land, and recorded evidence of a "30% increase in yield per mu".

His wife saw him leaving early and returning late every day, carrying a bundle full of books, and laughed at him, saying, "You're forty years old, why are you still acting like a young student?"

Li Yifu was not annoyed. The notes he compiled under the oil lamp grew thicker and thicker, from "Three-Dimensional Accounting Method for Commercial Tax" to "Detailed Rules for Performance Evaluation of Agriculture and Sericulture in Prefectures and Counties". He even put forward his own views on the "Supervision System of the Inspection Department": "If 'anonymous complaint boxes' are set up in each prefecture and county, it can prevent local officials from concealing information, which is more efficient than regular inspections."

On one occasion, he encountered Chu Suiliang at the Academy for Encouraging Learning. This old minister, who had always looked down on him, was surprised to see him discussing "strategies for optimizing trade routes in the Western Regions" with students: "So, Li Yifu also studies these things?" Li Yifu rose and bowed, his tone calm yet sharp: "His Highness the Crown Prince is implementing new policies, which everyone in the world can learn from. Doesn't Lord Chu know that the court today values ​​genuine insight in policy proposals, not the records of past achievements?"

Chu Suiliang was taken aback for a moment, then stroked his beard and smiled, "You've grown quite a bit to think like that."

In the autumn sun of the twenty-fourth year of the Zhenguan era, Li Yifu stood in the alley outside the Prince of Jin's residence.

He found out the Crown Prince's question in court: how to ensure that every citizen of the Tang Dynasty had enough to eat.

(End of this chapter)