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

Chapter 480 The Gate of Hell

The wooden boat sailed three hundred miles.
Following the Caohe River downstream to Tongguan Ferry, you will find the Yellow River, Wei River, and Beiluo River converging here, like three dragons dancing together.

The Yellow River breaks through the majestic barrier of the Qin-Jin Grand Canyon, rushing forth here before suddenly turning ninety degrees and rolling northeastward.

Standing at the bow of the boat, Ma Zhou exclaimed, "The river flows south within the pass, its currents surging against the mountains and passes, hence the name Tongguan (Tong Pass)."

Li Yi was unaware that Tongguan got its name from this place; he simply lamented that once he reached Tongguan, he would have to switch to the land route, which was not as comfortable.

When Emperor Wu of Han attacked the Xiongnu, there was a large food shortage in Guanzhong. So he dug a canal hundreds of miles long. From then on, the amount of grain entering Guanzhong every year reached more than four million shi, and even exceeded six million shi in one year. In the past, it would take at least six months to transport grain from the lower reaches of the Yellow River to Chang'an, but with the completion of the canal, it only took three months.

The Sui Dynasty also built the Guangtong Canal, which started from Tongguan in the east and connected to the Wei River in Chang'an in the west. After the canal was completed, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong, and three million shi of grain were urgently transferred from Guandong to the capital.

However, in just a few decades, the Guangtong Canal has become severely silted up, and most of the cargo boats now rely on boat trackers.

At least the 300-li-long Guangtong Canal is still navigable.

However, once you reach Tongguan, there is a 120-mile stretch of navigable waterway leading to Luoyang. The turbulent currents are a veritable death trap for shipping. Even though there have been attempts to control the situation throughout history, ships often wreck, grain sinks, and people perish.

Not only does it have a mainstay, but it also has nineteen dangerous shoals.

The grain and supplies transported from Guandong had to be detoured by land when passing through Shanzhou.

However, the land route was also difficult to travel. The land route from Luoyang to Tongguan was known as the Xiaohan Ancient Road, which had to pass through the deep valleys of the Xiaoshan Mountains. It was 400 li long, and carts could not travel side by side, nor could horses ride side by side.

The road is only one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) wide in some places.

The section from Tongguan to Shanzhou is particularly treacherous. East of Shanzhou, the road splits into two routes, north and south. The southern route is the oldest and is known as the Zhou-Qin Ancient Road, which is also the most dangerous. Later, when Cao Cao launched his western expedition, he disliked the treacherousness of the southern route and specially opened the northern Xiaodao Road.

Wu'an Wang Youyun pointed to Tongguan City in the distance and sighed, "The confluence of three rivers has made this place a vital transportation hub for merchants and travelers since ancient times, a crucial point for both land and water transport."
This ferry crossing at the great bend of the Yellow River is also a famous ferry crossing on the Yellow River.

Tongguan is both a shipping hub and a military stronghold.

"It's a pity that the Yellow River's pillars have hindered navigation on the Yellow River. Otherwise, if there were a direct waterway to Luoyang, the previous dynasty wouldn't have needed to build Luoyang as the eastern capital."

Yun Dingxing believed that the Sui Dynasty's demise after only two generations was largely due to the relocation of the capital to Luoyang.

Yang Guang moved the capital, thus abandoning the Guanlong Group.

However, Guanzhong, located in a remote corner, though strategically positioned, had many serious shortcomings as the capital of a unified dynasty, especially its inability to produce enough food to sustain itself, requiring supplies to be transported from the Guandong region. Yet, it was only one pillar of support...
This blocked the canal transport.

It requires countless manpower and resources to transport goods, and the upper limit of the canal transport cannot be broken.

Although Emperor Yang Guang built the Grand Canal, Luoyang and Chang'an were still blocked by the 120-mile stretch of treacherous rapids in Shanzhou, and the 400-mile Xiaohan Road was equally difficult to traverse.

The weather was fine.

At Tongguan Ferry, boats of all sizes ply the river.

Passenger ships, cargo ships, and cruise ships are scattered like stars in the sky, with all kinds of sails that seem to give these ships wings, drifting erratically, creating a magnificent sight.

This place was a vital route for officials and commoners traveling between Qin, Jin, and Yu. Since the chaos of the Sui Dynasty, it has only been autumn of the fourth year of the Wude era, yet it has already become a place of great prosperity and splendor.

The group of Hebei officials who had traveled from Hebei to Beijing and were now returning to Hebei with Li Yi stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the busy dock, each of them harboring complex emotions.

A trip to Chang'an has truly changed my state of mind.

I used to think that Hebei under the rule of the Xia king was prosperous and the people were devoted to it, but after coming to Chang'an, I realized that Guanzhong was much more stable and prosperous than Hebei.

The Mandate of Heaven was with the Tang Dynasty.

These four words are something they now have to admit.

Yun Dingxing, as a friend of the Prince of Wu'an, could have avoided going to Hebei this time. Although he had a bad reputation and came from a merchant family, he rose to power because his daughter was favored by the Sui Crown Prince Yang Yong. Later, he took the initiative to advise Yang Guang to kill Yang Yong's sons, including his own grandson, and was appreciated by Yang Guang again.

But Yun Dingxing was, after all, Li Shimin's superior when he first joined the army.

Yun Dingxing could stay in Chang'an like Su Wei.
But he volunteered to go to Hebei with him.

"Does Your Majesty believe there is a way to resolve the issue of the canal transport from Luoyang to Tongguan?"

Li Yi said, "There are always more solutions than problems."

"Appreciate further details."

Not only Yun Dingxing, but also Qi Shanxing, Zhang Xuansu, Ma Zhou and others became interested. Any dynasty that establishes its capital in Chang'an in Guanzhong will inevitably face the major problem of canal transport.

"This section of the Yellow River is difficult to navigate by water, and the Xiaohan Valley on land is also difficult to travel. Traditional water and land transportation is very difficult, so we have to find another way."

The simplest approach is to store grain in sections and then transfer it in sections. Compared to transporting grain directly from Luoyang to Tongguan, building multiple transfer warehouses along this 400-mile stretch would make transportation much easier for both laborers and livestock, and would also protect against rain and snow.

Alternatively, civilian transportation could be changed to official transportation, with a dedicated team of transport personnel arranged. For example, a group of able-bodied young men could be recruited from among the disaster victims to transport the goods, thus avoiding the impact of agricultural seasons.

Of course, relying solely on warehousing and transportation at each stage is not enough.

When conditions permit in the future, a canal can be dug on the north bank of the Yellow River in Shanzhou, which can avoid both the dangerous shoals of the Yellow River section in Shanzhou and the difficult passage through the Xiaohan Valley.

The idea of ​​digging a canal on the north bank of the Yellow River in Shanzhou to transport grain and other supplies was something no one had expected.

But upon closer examination, it is indeed feasible.

After all, the north bank of Sanmenxia is flatter than the south bank, so digging a canal that stretches for dozens of miles is not a difficult task. This is far better than the previous method of having to fight against the Sanmenxia pillar, the hundred-mile treacherous shoals, or the Xiaohan Valley Road where carriages and horses could not travel side by side.

At both ends of that canal, two transshipment warehouses were set up, and a fleet of specialized cargo ships was built on the canal. Even if towed by boatmen, its transport capacity would far surpass that of traditional methods. In this era...

Water transport is far more efficient than land transport, and it also saves a great deal of time and cost.

Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, water transport in Sanmenxia has been impassable, and land transport has mainly relied on the construction of plank roads, but this has not brought about much change.

Last year, after the Tang Dynasty pacified Luoyang, Li Yuan sent people to transport the palace's secret treasures, royal books and records back to Chang'an. They traveled by water, but when they passed Zhizhu, many ships sank, resulting in the loss of 20% of the ships and supplies.

Sanmenxia is said to be the site where Yu the Great wielded his divine axe to split the high mountains into three gorges: the Human Gate, the Divine Gate, and the Ghost Gate, thus diverting the Yellow River eastward.

Disembark and go ashore.

There is a bustling market at Tongguan Ferry.

There is a city called Tongguan here, as well as a county town. Outside the county town, there is a ferry dock and a market, bustling with people.

Li Yi had a large entourage, so he didn't stay at the post station.

Set up camp directly near the dock.
It was still early, so he took a group of officials from the Prince of Wu'an's mansion and went for a stroll with his uncle, Ahe, and others.

Climb Tongguan Pass and overlook the Three Rivers.

Step into the dockside market and experience the everyday life of the people.

The docks carry a wide variety of goods, and prices are much cheaper than in Chang'an.

Goods and specialties from the three provinces converge and are traded here.

Inevitably, there was also a large market here, where a large number of people were sold. This included not only disaster victims and civilians, but also slaves from Silla, Western Regions, Kunlun from the South China Sea, and even Turks, Khitans, Xi, Goguryeo, Wuling barbarians, Qiang, and so on. All kinds of slaves could be seen here.

Next to it was a cattle and horse market, where all kinds of livestock were traded, including camels, cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs, with most of the livestock fetching higher prices than slaves.

The money from one cow could even buy ten little girls.

In this bustling market, those who have been reduced to slavery are no longer human; they have no dignity whatsoever and are at the mercy of others.
Those vendors and buyers were treated like cattle and horses, their mouths pried open to check their teeth, and some were even made to undress for inspection.

The women, including Zheng Rou Niang and Jin Yu Shu, who were wearing veils and following Li Yi Lai for a stroll, lost their smiles upon seeing this scene.

Especially Jin Yushu, thinking of her experience of being kidnapped by pirates from her hometown of Silla, and the other women from noble families like the Dugu family who were later enslaved because of their fathers' or husbands' crimes...

Seeing those pitiful slaves, I should be grateful that I met Li Yi.

I quickly took a look around the slave market.
Li Yi, Zhang He, and the others then returned to their camp.

Although one-third of the population of Chang'an were slaves.

"Everyone says that in chaotic times, human life is as worthless as grass, worse than pigs and dogs, but even now, so many people are still reduced to slaves and lowly servants. Alas." Zhang Daoyuan sighed. The emperor once gave him some wives and daughters of disgraced officials as slaves, but Zhang Daoyuan still sent these women back home one by one.

"We have a heavy responsibility on our shoulders this time back in Hebei."

Li Yi nodded.

There are now sporadic rebellions in Hebei, and banditry has increased, but neither the emperor nor the ministers in Chang'an care about it.

Their eyes were only on the powerful families like the Five Clans and Seven Clans, and on Dou Jiande's generals such as Fan Yuan, Cao Dan, and Qi Shanxing.

Who cares about people at the bottom of society?

Everyone felt that Hebei was now stable.

"What do you plan to do once you return to Hebei?" Zhang Daoyuan asked his nephew. He was the governor of Xiangzhou, which originally governed six prefectures. Before Li Yi left the capital, he had offered advice to the emperor.

The Xiangzhou General Administration, which was originally in charge of six prefectures, now only governs the three prefectures of Xiang, Wei, and Li.

The Mingzhou Grand General Administration, which also governed eight prefectures, now only had jurisdiction over the three prefectures of Ming, Xing, and Zhao.

"Recruit bandits, provide relief to displaced people, distribute land equally, promote land reclamation, reward farming and weaving, and support industry and commerce."

Zhang He said, "It's easy to say, but difficult to do."

"There's always a way to overcome difficulties,"

"But to accomplish these things, money and supplies are indispensable, but Hebei is currently quite depleted."

Li Yi didn't hide anything from his uncle, "I have an idea. I plan to issue bonds in Hebei and borrow money from local wealthy families and powerful clans, and even from the two capitals and other places."
Once we can borrow the money, everything will be much easier.

The money could be used to purchase oxen, seeds, and farm tools, which could then be rented to the people to restore farming. Alternatively, an interest-free or low-interest loan could be directly issued to the people for their seedlings.

It can also provide loans to artisans and merchants to support their businesses…

Turn stagnant water into flowing water.

"Bonds?" Zhang He was somewhat surprised.

It's not uncommon for government officials to borrow money from powerful and wealthy families, but he'd never heard of bonds before.

"What exactly is this bond like?"

(End of this chapter)