The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 453 Review 1627: Famine and Order
On the second day of the Lunar New Year in the second year of Wuding, on the eve of the emperor's inspection of the Zhaoyuan Iron Mine, he came to the West Palace where Yang Qing'er was, said goodbye to the queen, and stayed there overnight.

After the heavy snow stopped, the queen ordered people to place copper stoves with charcoal fires in the four corners of the bedroom and light two ambergris. The surroundings were warm and it seemed as if spring had suddenly arrived.

As soon as Liu Zhaosun entered the room, he took off his cloak and the five-clawed dragon robe, leaving only a thin leather hat. He sat cross-legged on the Tai Chi cushion, closing his eyes and concentrating, like an old monk in meditation.

The Tai Chi Bagua cushion was a gift from Master Zhang, who had been with the emperor for a long time. He used to be dismissive of these stories about ghosts and gods, but after experiencing the Wanggongchang explosion, he realized that things in the world are impermanent and fate determines everything, and the time traveler's three views have changed greatly.

The Liu Zhaosun who was once comparable to a saint is dead, and the living Liu Zhaosun has gone to the other extreme.

Good and evil, gods and demons are only a thought away.

The world of Emperor Da Qi is nothing but killing. In the constant killing, his temperament is changing.

The emperor became more and more mean, and he would not even let go of a local tyrant in Linqing who sold aphrodisiacs.

He enjoys manipulating other people's fates with his mischievous tricks.

He castrated Dongfang Zhu, who had one wife and six concubines, buried a French sailor alive and then planted a plane tree in his place, imagining walking under the plane tree with Yang Qing'er in the future (it is said that this inspiration came from a bald man who loved to write a diary).

Fate is unpredictable and life is difficult to predict. Only in this way can the time traveler resist the unpredictability of fate and gain a rare sense of security.

The invincible Liu Zhaosun now lacks a sense of security the most. Even massacres cannot bring him a sense of security.

Use magic to defeat magic.

The best way to avoid being defeated by bad luck is to become the bad luck itself.

The best way to feel safe is to deprive others of their sense of security.

"The Mysterious Sect of Heaven and Earth, the root of all myriad qi, has cultivated for billions of kalpas to prove my magical powers!"

Only when you close your eyes and concentrate on chanting the mantra, can you feel your own existence, continue to gaze into your own heart, recall past events from long ago, and have some kind of spiritual communication with your dead self, so as not to continue to sink.

Yang Qing'er came to her husband with a bowl of freshly cooked lotus seed porridge.

The emperor sat cross-legged, his hands clasped together on his heart, his eyes slightly closed, and muttered something.

During the Ming Dynasty, Taoism flourished, and many emperors were keen on using spirit writing to make elixirs. It was also popular among scholars and officials to seek immortality through spirit writing. Although Yang Qing'er's father, Yang Hao, was not good at this, Yang Qing'er was the daughter of an official after all, and she had some understanding of these Taoist methods.

After listening for a while, Yang Qing'er raised her eyebrows and looked at her husband's back angrily.

In this era, many women believed in unorthodox teachings, but Yang Qing'er disdained such nonsense. She felt that only foolish men and women would believe in these tricks. For example, decades ago, the unfortunate daughter of Prime Minister Wang Xijue, Wang Taozhen, died inexplicably because of her obsession with magic, and became a laughing stock among officials.

"My dear husband, we will be separated again tomorrow. When will we be able to return to the Eastern Capital?"

Liu Zhaosun was interrupted just as he was entering into meditation. A hint of annoyance appeared on his face. When he saw that it was Yang Qing'er standing next to him, he forced a smile and said,
"Why aren't you sleeping so late? I'm going to Zhaoyuan to see an old friend and inspect the iron mines. Lu Xiangsheng will be accompanying me, and then I'll go to Yuncheng to comfort the people. Yuncheng has no grain harvest, and many people will starve to death this spring. Perhaps we have to wait until March."

When talking about famine and people starving to death, the emperor's expression did not change at all, as if he was talking about something very far away from him.

"I want to appease the people and kill a few corrupt officials, otherwise there will be civil unrest."

He stood up from the mat, and the palace maid Amber handed him a handkerchief. The emperor took the handkerchief and wiped the non-existent sweat beads on his forehead. When he threw the handkerchief over, he stroked Amber's hand. Amber twisted her slender waist as if she was electrocuted, and made a move to pounce on him.

Liu Zhaosun raised his hand slightly, and the palace maid quickly retreated.

Yang Qing'er saw it all, but pretended not to notice. "Husband, didn't you kill all the corrupt officials in Da Qi a long time ago?"

Emperor Wu Ding smiled coldly and said to his wife:

"If there are no corrupt officials, then we can pick a few non-corrupt officials and kill them as if they were corrupt, to appease public grievances."

"I'm currently supporting over 60,000 young men. These men don't farm or engage in commerce. It will take another two months for them to kill people and rob for me. To support 60,000 soldiers, at least 600,000 farmers are needed to farm. However, Shandong is currently experiencing a food shortage. We don't even have enough seeds for this year, and we're lucky the people haven't fled. The civil officials say the Southern Ming won't sell us grain again, and famine is starting to hit Southern Zhili. The grain stored in the treasury is running low, and I have to leave tens of thousands of dan of grain to deal with the Liaodong war. All the wealthy and corrupt officials have been killed, and the captured grain and grass are almost gone. Simply put, without food, the Great Qi will soon be broke."

When Liu Zhaosun talked about how he was running out of food and was almost penniless, he was not at all panicked, but there was a hint of excitement in his tone.

"What I just recited is the mental method taught by Master Zhang, which is said to prolong life. It is not praying to the gods."

Emperor Wu Ding reiterated: "Qing'er, remember, no one can help us in the face of natural disasters or man-made disasters. In the next two months, Da Qi..."

Yang Qing'er looked at her husband worriedly.

"As I told you before, Da Qi will begin implementing a wartime distribution system."

Yang Qing'er had heard her husband talk about the wartime distribution system. She had been in charge of food and fodder in Kaiyuan and had a lot of experience in military and civil supply, so she knew what it meant without her husband's explanation.

After the first month of the lunar year, when spring plowing is over, widespread famine will begin again. At that time, except for the soldiers sent to aid the Liao war, all the food and supplies needed by the rest of the people in Qi, regardless of officials or civilians, will be centrally distributed.

Each household and each person has a fixed daily ration of coal, salt and tea, which are gone after they are eaten and used up.

When food supplies are insufficient, this is the only way to reduce the risk of people starving to death.

"Only I can save them. Saving people requires killing people. If it weren't for the hundreds of thousands of people killed throughout Northern Zhili last year, even the gods themselves wouldn't be able to save us."

The power of the empire not only firmly controlled the prefectures, counties and cities, but even the most remote villages were controlled by the farmers' associations. The farmers' associations and the army were the left and right arms of Emperor Wuding, and were even more useful than his left and right arms.

The idea that imperial power does not extend below the county level is a false proposition in the Great Qi Empire.

The wartime distribution system is not uncommon at all, and many people have thought about it. However, thinking of it does not mean that it can be done. To truly distribute food evenly, not only does it require abnormal execution capabilities, but it also requires a highly efficient and honest bureaucracy. Unfortunately, Da Qi fully meets these two points.

Yang Qing'er frowned, thinking of the family dinner the day before. Her husband asked the chef Tan Er and others to prepare 108 dishes. The delicacies from land and sea were placed in front of him, but the emperor showed little interest. He just drank some wine and did not touch many of the dishes.

"Husband, you have changed."

Yang Qing'er mustered up her courage and prepared to persuade the emperor.

"Yes, people will always change, and I will change too," Emperor Wu Ding did not feel ashamed of his extravagance.

"Compared to life and death, I care more about order. Qing'er, I am the emperor. The emperor's banquet requires one hundred and eight dishes, not one hundred and nine, not one hundred and seven, but one hundred and eight. This is order, do you understand?"

Yang Qing'er nodded thoughtfully.

Liu Zhaosun stroked her pretty face and said tenderly:

"As long as order remains, Da Qi will survive forever. After these two months, everything will be fine. All my enemies will die."

(End of this chapter)