A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 432 Ten years later, a bushel of rice will only cost two or three coins.
"Brothers,"

"Raise your glasses!"

Outside Xiaqiu City in Yanzhou, on the banks of the Sishui River.

At the victory celebration banquet, everyone's face was filled with joy, and the Qin King's Battle Song was played by a military band.

The summer breeze rippled across the green wheat fields along the Sishui River and brushed against the faces of the Tang soldiers.

Today, Li Yi also took off his gilded silk armor and no longer wore his purple silk robe with a gold and jade belt; he was only wearing a red Tang army summer uniform.

"Today, we have gathered in Yanzhou City. There are old soldiers who came with me from Guanzhong, and new soldiers from Henan who came from Luoyang."

There were also brothers from Shandong and from Xuzhou, Sishui and Huaihe River basins.

Tens of thousands of brothers gathered here to celebrate the success of suppressing the rebellion and to share our joy.

Many old brothers, and many new brothers, I can't toast everyone individually. Let's raise our glasses, drink this cup to the brim, and celebrate our victory in suppressing the rebellion!

"Cheers!"

The soldiers raised their glasses in unison.

Li Yi took the lead and drank a full cup of barley wine. The brewing of this wine is simple: the barley is hulled, washed, and the kernels are cooked in a pot, then taken out, spread out to cool, sprinkled with yeast, put into a basin, and finally poked a hole. In the early summer temperature, it becomes barley wine in a day and a night.

The wheat wine is sweet, and not only is the liquor delicious, but the wheat lees are also tasty.

For this victory celebration banquet
I specially brewed a lot of floating wine in advance, and today I'm going to drink to my heart's content.

Today, not only Tang soldiers and local troops, but also tens of thousands of prisoners of war were invited by Li Yi to participate in the victory celebration.

Today is not only a celebration for the Tang soldiers' victory, but also a farewell for these prisoners.

Li Yi conquered Yanzhou, Liu Lancheng conquered Jizhou and Yunzhou, Qi Gongshun Chunyu Nan conquered Tanzhou, and Li Daliang conquered Haizhou.

From the east bank of the canal, all the way east to the sea, south to the Huai River, and north to the Yellow River,
The rebellion in eastern Henan has been largely quelled.

Meng Haigong was executed, Xu Yuanlang was executed, Zhang Qingte was executed, Fu De was executed, Zang Xiangjun was executed...
One by one, these opportunistic warlords reaped the bitter fruits of their wrong choices.

Li Yi basically dismissed his followers and sent them back to their hometowns.

"Brothers, ten years ago, Emperor Yang of Sui conquered Liaodong, and the Central Plains were thrown into chaos. Back then, Wang Bo gathered a crowd in Diaowoyu, Changbai Mountain, and called himself Zhishilang. He sang the Song of No Return to Liaodong and began the anti-Sui rebellion."

Now, ten years later, the Central Plains of Henan have finally ended the war and returned to the central government's control.

Unfortunately, Wang Bu fell on the eve of this victory, which is very regrettable.

He didn't live to see the next decade in Henan.

What will the next decade be like? Many people may feel lost, or even worried that things will continue to be chaotic.

I dare to make a bold statement here: the next ten years will be a decade of returning from chaos to order, a decade of returning to prosperity.

If the people can be distributed land equally, the imperial court will also reduce taxes and corvée labor.
People will be far from the war and live a peaceful life again. I dare say that ten years from now, a bushel of rice will cost at most three or four coins, and a bolt of silk can be exchanged for more than ten bushels of millet.

The national granaries and the people's grain bins will be full again.

Li Yi's words drew gasps of amazement.

A bushel of rice costs three or four qian.
No one dared to believe it.

Some of the older folks still remember that during the Kaihuang era, a time considered a golden age, a dou (a unit of dry measure) of rice in the capital cost twenty or thirty coins. Even in the granary region between Qing and Qi, a dou of rice cost around twenty coins.

Two or three coins for a bushel of rice?

What are the current grain prices in Xuzhou and Yanzhou?

Nowadays, there is a shortage of food, and a dou of rice costs two bolts of silk, or five hundred coins in the Sui Dynasty for a dou of rice.

Doesn't that mean that in ten years, grain prices will drop by more than a hundred times?
Hard to imagine.

Even Liu Shiche, a renowned scholar from Dongxia and a chivalrous hero from Jiangdong, felt that Li Yi's words were somewhat exaggerated.

Let alone two or three coins a peck of rice, if it could really be twenty or thirty coins a peck of rice, then we would have returned to a prosperous era.

In his opinion,

Whether the world is good or bad is irrelevant; what matters is whether people have enough to eat, whether food prices are cheap, whether there is no war, and whether life is peaceful.

What kind of prosperous era is it if everyone is hungry?

“I just said that in ten years rice will cost three or four coins, and everyone laughed. It seems no one believes it.” Li Yi smiled as well. “But what I want to say is that it will definitely be a reality.”

Let's make a ten-year agreement today.
Ten years from now, we may have the chance to reunite, or we may not. But let's wait and see if the price of grain will drop to three or four coins per dou (a unit of dry measure)!

I would also like to add that, ten years later, the Tang Dynasty, having restored the unity of the empire, might not have fully recovered its population, nor would it have immediately entered a golden age.
But by then it was definitely a time of peace and prosperity.

Ten years later, the Tang Dynasty will not only have restored the old borders of China, but we will even be able to defeat the Turks and Tuyuhun, who frequently harass our borders, and force them to submit and pay tribute!

Everyone laughed.

Whether or not what Li Yi said can be realized, it certainly sounds encouraging.

"Come, let's raise our glasses again, to celebrate our ten-year promise,"

"cheers!"

Tens of thousands of people drank Maifuzi liquor.
This sweet and slightly sour wheat spirit has an alcohol content of only around ten degrees. It has an excellent taste and is enjoyed by people who drink alcohol, whether they are good drinkers or not.

"Brothers, even today, there are still some places in the Tang Dynasty that are not unified, and there are still some people who are struggling to make ends meet."

but,

Our tomorrow will be better and better.

Tomorrow, many of our brothers who were forced into military service will be discharged and return to their hometowns. Don't worry, the imperial court will distribute land to you equally when you return home.
You don't need to worry about not having farm tools, seeds, or even a bride after the land is distributed. The local government offices in Henan will help you.

Those who don't have land will be given land.

For those lacking seeds and farming tools, we will lend them to you; for those lacking oxen and other large livestock, we will organize you to cooperate and help each other.

Since we didn't have a house, we helped each other and built a simple place to live first.

For those of you without brides, the government will arrange matchmakers to help you find suitable partners. If a match is made, the government will even give you some money or silk.

"To all my brothers from Henan who are going home tomorrow, I will give each of you a bushel of millet and a hundred coins. When you return to your hometowns and report to the county or township government, we will allocate land to you and help you settle down."

One cup after another.

Li Yi drank many cups.

I almost got drunk on this wheat wine.

Song Yi and Liu Heizi helped Li Yi to the tent to rest. This stuff tasted like a sweet wine, but if you drank too much, a gust of wind would actually make you dizzy.

"Young man, will it really be possible to earn three or four coins' worth of rice in ten years?"

"Yes, I will."

"Back then, a bolt of silk could be exchanged for more than ten bushels of grain?"

"Ah."

Liu Heizi found it hard to imagine, "Then farming would be a complete loss!"

Li Yi laughed heartily.

It's true that low grain prices hurt farmers. However, low grain prices remain one of the ironclad standards of a prosperous era.

Li Yi lay down and fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was already dusk.

Li Yi felt sticky with sweat all over his body, so he went for a swim in the Sishui River.

There was still wheat wine for dinner, but Li Yi resolutely refused to drink it, and instead ordered millet porridge and vegetable soup.

Li Daliang, the chief administrator of Xuzhou, came over.

"Does Sikong truly believe that the world will enter a period of peace and prosperity in ten years?"

"Of course," Li Yi said with certainty.

The Tang Dynasty has been established for four years, but at most it can be said to occupy half of the country. It is still too early to say that it will completely unify the world in ten years. Li Yi, however, said that in ten years the world will be a peaceful and prosperous place, with rice costing only three or four coins per dou (a unit of dry measure). He also said that at that time, the Turks, Tuyuhun, and other tribes will have to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty.

"If things really turn out this way in ten years, that would be wonderful."

"There are still ten years left, enough time for us to work hard. Look, didn't we quell the rebellion in eastern Henan in a very short time this time?"

In less than two months, the rebellion of the three chief administrators and more than a dozen prefects, who together claimed to have 200,000 troops, was completely quelled.

Last time, Caozhou reduced its army by 80,000.

This time, Li Yi of Yanzhou reduced his forces by 50,000, including 30,000 of Xu Yuanlang's troops, 30,000 of Zhang Qingte and Fu De's troops, 15,000 of Zang Junxiang's troops, and 5,000 of Li Wuyi's troops.

About 5,000 soldiers were selected, while the remaining 80,000 or so were dismissed.

From the Grand Canal in the west to the sea in the east, from the Yellow River in the north to the Huai River in the south, the original five general administrations and twenty-three prefectures were completely reorganized after this pacification.

Cut what needs to be cut, merge what needs to be merged.

The Xuzhou General Administration governed the three prefectures of Xu, Si, and Hai. The four prefectures of Pi, Zeng, Ren, and Beixu were abolished.

The Qizhou General Administration governed five prefectures: Qi, Zi, Lai, Qing, and Deng, and abolished the three prefectures of Dongtai, Zou, and Tan.

The General Administration of Yanzhou governed the three prefectures of Yan, Yi, and Mi, and abolished the two prefectures of Taizhou and Jinzhou.

The Haizhou General Administration Office, the Qingzhou General Administration Office, and the Bianzhou General Administration Office were all abolished.

The two general administrations of Bozhou and Bianzhou were merged and renamed Songzhou General Administration, which governed five prefectures: Song, Bo, Bian, Chen, and Xu.

With the addition of the five general administrations of Luozhou, Huaizhou, Yuzhou, Huazhou, and Shanzhou, Henan Circuit was left with nine general administrations, totaling twenty-seven prefectures.

Three general administration offices were abolished, and more than thirty prefectures were eliminated.

They also laid off more than 130,000 troops.

But as the blows continued, no one dared to object anymore.

From Tongguan in the west to Penglai Island in the east, the Tang Dynasty could be said to have truly ruled Henan Province.

Yuwen Shiji came over and said, "Minister of Works, an imperial edict has arrived from Chang'an concerning Sheng Yanshi, Wang Bo, and Li Yiman."

After Li Yi captured Yanzhou, Sheng Yanshi and Jiang Shanhe, who had been imprisoned, were naturally rescued. Li Yi reinstated them to their original positions. Sheng Yanshi remained the governor of Bozhou, but was now changed to the governor of Songzhou. Jiang Shanhe remained the prefect of Yunzhou.

The imperial edict was delivered from Chang'an via post stations.

The angels were weary from their journey.

Li Yi was somewhat surprised when he saw the emperor's edict.

By imperial decree, Sheng Yanshi was executed, and Li Yiman was posthumously granted the title of Duke of Tan.

"How could this be?" Li Yi hadn't expected the punishment to be so severe. Sheng Yanshi was certainly at fault, but the death penalty was something he hadn't anticipated.

An angel from Chang'an conveyed the emperor's edict: due to Sheng Yanshi's carelessness, Li Yiman, a local official who had submitted to the court in the first year of the Wude era, was unjustly killed in prison. Furthermore, Li Wuyi killed Wang Bu, the governor of Qizhou, and caused Tanzhou, which had been loyal to the court for several years, to rebel and attack Qizhou City.

This led to the fall of Yunzhou City again, and Jizhou also rebelled once more.

These are all unforgivable.

Wang Bo was already dead, so the matter was dropped. However, Sheng Yanshi could not escape punishment and was executed on the spot.

"May I submit a memorial to the Emperor detailing the matter?"

"His Majesty has decreed that Sheng Yanshi be executed immediately, and has even dispatched the Imperial Guards to carry it out."

Sheng Yanshi was a dignified Duke of Ge, Right General of the Imperial Guard, and Governor of Songzhou. He had made many contributions to the court and even killed Li Mi. Yet he ended up like this.

The angel summoned Sheng Yanshi directly and then announced the decree to the public.

Sheng Yanshi was also stunned.

He was stunned for a long time, and only when the imperial guards from Chang'an were about to carry out the execution did he panic, crying out, "Duke of Jin, save me!"

The angel was ruthless and unyielding. "Do it!"

Sheng Yanshi blushed and reached for his knife.

The angel sneered: "Steward Sheng, you'd better think this through. If you accept the court's punishment now, your family will not be implicated. If you resist, you should think carefully about the consequences."

Sheng Yanshi had no choice but to sigh and let go, offering his neck for execution.

Sheng Yanshi was pushed out by the Imperial Guards to be beheaded.

All the officers and generals fell silent.

"Wait a minute!"

Li Yi spoke up.

"Sikong?" The green-robed angel looked at Li Yi.

"Although Duke Ge bears undeniable responsibility for Li Yiman's death, it has now been determined that the main responsibility lies with Wang Bo. After the fall of Yuncheng and his capture, Duke Ge remained loyal and refused to surrender. Even as a prisoner of Xu Yuanlang, he devised a counter-espionage scheme to persuade General Liu Shiche to defect, thus helping us achieve a great victory at Rencheng."

"The Duke of Ge has both faults and merits. I beg the angel to show mercy and postpone the execution. Please imprison the Duke of Ge first, and I will report to the Emperor in detail later."

The angel hesitated for a moment, seeing Li Yi's firm attitude. If he refused to kill Sheng Yanshi, then the matter could not be accomplished.

"Alright, since Sikong has stepped forward, then we will follow Sikong's arrangements. However, if the Emperor punishes us, we hope Sikong will be lenient."

"Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for anything that happens."

Sheng Yanshi was pushed to the door and then brought back. He had just escaped death and was extremely grateful to Li Yi.

"I apologize for the inconvenience of Duke Ge; he will be temporarily imprisoned and await His Majesty's decree."

"Thank you, Duke of Jin."

When Wang Bo died, he was left with the status of a criminal. His title could not be passed on to his descendants. However, the emperor showed mercy and did not implicate his family or confiscate his property.

Li Yiman was posthumously granted the titles of Duke of Tan and Governor of Qizhou, and his son, Li Junqiu, inherited the title of Duke of Pingling County.

Li Boyi, the Prince of Longxi, was promoted to Governor-General of Qizhou; Li Fengci, the Prince of Bohai, was promoted to Governor-General of Songzhou; and Li Shiji was reassigned as Governor-General of Yanzhou.

"Minister Sikong, His Majesty is overjoyed to hear that the rebellion in eastern Henan has been quelled."

His Majesty instructed me to inform the Minister of Works that the war in Hebei is still at a stalemate, with the Prince of Qin and Dou Jiande's army locked in a standoff at Ye City without any progress.

"I hope that Sikong will immediately lead his troops north, cross the Yellow River, and attack the areas east of the Grand Canal in Hebei, including Weibo, Ji, and Bei, to assist the King of Qin in quickly pacifying Dou Jiande."

(End of this chapter)