Late Han Zhao Tang

Although Zhang Yu was in Guanzhong, he kept a close eye on the southern expedition.

Learning from the problem of Cao Cao's attack on Jingzhou and the resulting slow response from the central government, Zhang Yu, at the beginning of his southern campaign, ordered the chiefs of the four prefectures of Yi, Jing, Yu, and Xu to arrange messengers every three hundred li. With constant changes of horses and riders, the letters could be delivered over a thousand li a day.

For example, it would take two days to deliver military intelligence from Xiangyang to Chang'an; and a little over three days from Jiangzhou to Chang'an. Therefore, Zhang Yu was able to keep abreast of the latest developments at the front every day.

Knowing the changes at the front lines within a few days doesn't mean Zhang Yu wants to be a micromanagement master; it's purely out of concern for the war. After all, if they fail to conquer the southeast this time, it might be several years before they can launch another southern expedition, and Zhang Yu doesn't want to wait that long.

At that time, Zhang Yu was inspecting the Zheng Bai Canal in Weibei. The eldest princes accompanied him on this trip, and the court officials surrounded him.

It is early winter now, and the cold wind is blowing. In the fields, women, children and the elderly are busy sowing wheat, hoping to harvest it next April or May.

It is said that the area suitable for cultivation in Guanzhong is not as large as that in Hebei, so why was Guanzhong able to suppress the separatist forces in Hebei during times of chaos?
The primary reason lies in the stable climate of Guanzhong, while Hebei is prone to floods and droughts. Therefore, when disasters strike Hebei, the losses often become widespread and significant. Conversely, Guanzhong can maintain stable production during times of disaster in Hebei, highlighting the difference between the two regions.

Therefore, comparing the two regions, it can be said that Hebei has a higher upper limit, while Guanzhong has a higher lower limit. In times of chaos where the focus is on the lower limit, Guanzhong often outperforms Hebei. However, once the country stabilizes and the central government regulates Hebei's water resources, Hebei will inevitably surpass Guanzhong.

In extreme weather conditions, when Guanzhong experiences a severe drought, Hebei and Henan will inevitably suffer great calamities, such as the seven-year drought in northern China at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

After the Qin and Western Han dynasties repaired the canals, the main grain-producing areas in Guanzhong were in the central and eastern regions, with the Zheng-Bai Canal as the core. The Zheng Guo Canal irrigated more than 40,000 hectares, and the Baihe Canal was a supplementary project that irrigated more than 4,000 hectares, for a total of more than 46,000 hectares.

All 46,000 hectares of land were fertile fields. Although Sima Qian's description of "one zhong per mu" was an exaggeration, it was actually true that the yield per mu was 2-3 shi.

With a strict fallow system, that is, two-thirds of the 46,000 hectares of land fallow and one-third cultivated, the annual yield would be between four million and four million six hundred thousand shi (a unit of dry measure), enough to feed hundreds of thousands of people a year. However, if the yield of wheat and millet rotation is taken into account, the yield per mu (a unit of land area) would be far more than four million shi.

In response to the drought and reduced grain production in Hebei, in addition to the initial requisition of one million shi of military grain, the imperial court has transported another one million shi from Guanzhong and Hedong this autumn and winter to stabilize grain prices in Hebei.

Because Zhengbai Canal was a major production area, Zhang Yu took advantage of the wheat planting season to go to Cuo'e Mountain north of the Wei River to get a close view of Zhengbai Canal.

"The Zhengbai Canal irrigates over 40,000 hectares of farmland, which is the foundation of food supply for Guanzhong!"

Zhang Yu gazed upon the fields and, seeing the fertile soil, was greatly satisfied. He said, "Over the past few years, the grain yields from the canals have remained stable, all thanks to the efforts of Zuo Fengyi in managing them. Now, are these more than 40,000 hectares of land ready for owners? Could more fertile land be allocated to them?"

After conquering Guanzhong, considering the political implications, Zhang Yu had his father-in-law, Wang Hong, take up the post of Left Fengyi. Following the Kong Rong incident, Zhang Yu transferred Sun Zi to temporarily serve as Left Fengyi, and when Sun Zi was transferred to the position of Governor of Yongzhou, Wang Chang of Taiyuan took the opportunity to assume the post of Left Fengyi.

Wang Hong's tenure was short; to be precise, Sun Zi was the first Left Fengyi Commander. At that time, Guanzhong was far from peaceful. During Sun Zi's tenure, he gathered displaced people, dredged canals, and distributed land, laying a solid foundation for the restoration of production in Fengyi Commandery.

Zhang Yu chose Wang Chang primarily because Wang Chang and Sima Zhi shared similar political preferences and both valued agriculture in their respective regions. Thus, the two were appointed as Left Fengyi and Right Fufeng respectively.

Since Wang Chang came to power, he had diligently encouraged the people to cultivate the land, which had been largely abandoned. He also taught them farming techniques, resulting in the reclamation of a large amount of land and the vigorous development of agriculture along the Zhengbai Canal. In recent years, the grain production in Zuofengyi has increased year by year, and the stable grain prices in Guanzhong are largely due to Wang Chang's efforts.

Wang Chang served Zhang Yu from a young age, and can be considered a loyal follower of Zhang Yu, whose political ideals aligned with Zhang Yu's governing philosophy. For example, when many sons of prominent families opposed the imperial examinations, arguing that reputation should be valued, Wang Chang submitted a memorial supporting Zhang Yu's reforms in selecting officials.

Wang Chang stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your humble service is unworthy of Your Majesty's high praise. The fields along the Zheng Bai Canal all have their owners, and now they are in a narrow village!"

After a moment's hesitation, Wang Chang said, "The Zhengbai Canal irrigates over 40,000 hectares of land, which can be called fertile fields. However, the land is small. If the population of the capital region gradually increases, I fear that the output will not be enough to supply the capital. In order to prepare for floods and droughts, we should transport millet from Hebei to supply Guanzhong."

Wang Chang's ambiguous words left Zhang Yu utterly bewildered. Even if the capital were to be established in Guanzhong, with such a small population, why would a large-scale canal transport be needed?

It should be noted that although the opening of the Hebei Canal was beneficial for tax collection and transportation, in reality, considering that the waterway between Chang'an and Luoyang was full of reefs, the imperial court basically stored grain and fodder in Luoyang for use in conquering the southeast.

“Guanzhong is not as prosperous as it was during the Former Han Dynasty. Every year there is a surplus of grain. To prepare for floods and droughts, the official grain from Hedong is enough. Why do you mention the matter of grain transport?” Zhang Yu asked.

Upon hearing this, Wang Chang was at a loss, a troubled expression on his face, unsure of how to proceed.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhang understood and replied, "Your Majesty, Feng Yi's words have a hidden story. The fields irrigated by Zheng Bai are all fertile fields. When high-ranking officials and wealthy households in the capital purchase fields, they place them between the two canals. In order to make the fields fertile, many millstones are built to divert water from the canals."

"Feng Yi's concern should lie in the fact that the Zheng Bai Canal is being dammed, resulting in a decrease in the amount of farmland being irrigated. In the past, many powerful families in Guanzhong during the Han Dynasty did this, which led to the gradual prosperity of the Grand Canal and the annual supply of millions of shi of grain. The reason why Feng Yi is unable to answer this question should be due to the presence of many meritorious officials and imperial relatives."

Upon hearing Zhang Zhang's words, Cong Qing looked surprised. Wang Chang was even more dumbfounded. He had heard that the Third Prince was intelligent, but he never expected that the Third Prince was so clever that he could understand his unspeakable secret.

"Is it as the King of the North said?" Zhang Yu asked. "It is as the King of the North said!"

Seeing that the hidden matter had been pointed out, Wang Chang bluntly said: "The Zhengbai Canal is the most fertile land in Guanzhong. The wealthy merchants and powerful people of China all compete to buy the land for their own property. Each family has gone to great lengths to build weirs and ponds to use the canal water. As a result, the amount of land that can be irrigated each year is gradually decreasing. I fear that in a few years, the irrigated land will be less than 40,000 hectares. Less irrigated land means less grain per mu."

The Guanzhong Plain is fertile, and dynasties based there have benefited from it, never suffering from food shortages. However, with the unification of the country and the emergence of interest groups, a scramble for Guanzhong land will occur, and the Zhengbai Canal, being fertile land, will certainly be a priority target.

This phenomenon occurred in the Li Tang dynasty in history. Shortly after Li Zhi ascended the throne, officials submitted a memorial regarding the monopoly of water resources. At that time, the Zheng Guo Canal, which could irrigate 40,000 hectares, was reduced to only about 10,000 hectares due to the interception of water resources by powerful clans and wealthy individuals. Li Zhi ordered Changsun Wuji to destroy it, but the destroyed canals were rebuilt not long afterward.

Even Emperor Xuanzong (Li Longji) later had the same strategy of demolishing ponds and millstones, but after demolishing them, he continued to rebuild them, leaving even the emperor helpless.

After the An Lushan Rebellion, the area of ​​farmland irrigated by the Zheng Bai Canal declined to just over 6,000 hectares, at a time when the Tibetan Empire was rampant. Du You submitted a memorial to the court, hoping that the canal could be restored to irrigate the farmland so that troops could be stationed in Guanzhong and Longxi, and lost territory could be recovered. Unfortunately, the memorial was of no use.

With the emergence of the Zhang Tang interest class, the Zheng Bai Canal's monopoly on water resources gradually became apparent. As a loyal follower of Zhang Yu, Wang Chang dared not fail to report it.

Zhang Yu's expression slightly changed as he said, "During the Han Dynasty, the area around Chang'an was seven hundred li inhabited by the Hu people. At that time, the Guanzhong region supplied grain, which was sufficient to feed the soldiers and civilians. If the two canals decline and the farmers stop cultivating the land, wouldn't the remote border regions become weak and reliant on the grain transported from Guandong? The two canals are the foundation of Guanzhong, and we cannot afford to lose them now."

Where is Lü Sili?

"Your subject is here!" Lü Fan replied.

"I order you to work with Wen Shu to investigate the water diversion of the canals, sort out the irrigated fields, compile the information into a book, and compare it year by year!" Zhang Yu said.

As he spoke, Zhang Yu's gaze lingered on Zhang Zhang for a moment before he said, "Since the Prince of the North is accompanying us to learn, Minister Lü might as well impart more practical knowledge to us."

"Your subject obeys!" Lü Fan replied.

The assembled officials remained silent, only occasionally glancing at the young Zhang Zhang. Compared to the mediocre Crown Prince Zhang Luo, the Third Prince was far too outstanding. Zhang Luo's gaze towards his younger brother was filled with jealousy and envy.

Zhang Yu's thoughts were complicated; he somewhat regretted appointing a crown prince too early. Previously, Zhang Zhang was too young, and his specific talents were not yet apparent. Considering the stability of the succession, he ultimately chose Zhang Luo as the heir. However, with Sima Hui teaching the princes and Zhang Zhang growing older, he has become increasingly outstanding.

Should a new crown prince be established for the sake of the country and its people?

If the crown prince were changed, it would likely trigger a series of chain reactions. Empress Wang Ji would certainly be the first to object; it would be a death sentence for her.

Let's take a look for now; sometimes, the character of the second-generation successor is more important than intelligence!
Each lost in their own thoughts, and in the silence that followed, a servant hurried up to report.

"Your Majesty, a military report from Jiangzhou has arrived!"

Zhang Yu opened the letter, which contained intelligence from Sun Zi, stating that 50,000 infantry and cavalry from Yizhou had set off from Jiangzhou, preparing to meet up with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in Badong, forming a total army of 60,000 to cross the Three Gorges.

"The troops of Yizhou have already moved, and 60,000 troops will soon leave the gorge. Now inform the troops of Jingzhou, ordering Wen Ping to advance westward and support the Yizhou navy from the north bank; Zhang Liao should wait at Hankou in preparation for Cao Cao's westward reinforcements."

Zhang Yu put away the handkerchief, took a deep breath, and said, "Let Li Song and Xu Huang advance side by side. Li Song will besiege Shouchun, and Xu Huang will take Huaiyin."

"promise!"

Taking a brush from the box he carried on his back and grinding it in oil, Zhao Zi began writing on the spot.

Looking southeast, Zhang Yu's gaze was firm, and he clenched his fist.

According to the latest strategy, if Cao Cao sends troops to Jingzhou, the key to breaking the deadlock lies with the armies of Li and Xu. If Shouchun remains fortified and cannot be taken, then the only hope is Huaiyin. If Xu Huang can capture Huaiyin, he can then descend the waterway down the Han Canal, and even if the river is frozen, it will still have an impact on the battlefield.

As for the western front in Jingzhou, the Yizhou navy broke through strategic passes such as Yidao and Jingmen, and their ships sailed straight into the Yangtze River. Zhang Liao, who was stationed at Hankou, did his best to tie down Cao Cao's main army.

If Cao Cao marches north out of Huainan, Li Song will be able to tie down Cao Cao's troops, and even Xu Huang's forces will have to be cautious in their military operations. Without reinforcements from Jingzhou, the naval forces of Jing and Yi provinces will join forces to fight Cao Ren's troops. If they win, they will be able to sweep through all the cities of Jingzhou above Xiakou.

With all routes advancing simultaneously, it remains to be seen how Cao Cao will deploy his troops.
The unification of the southeast hinges on this battle! (End of Chapter)