Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 301 The Emperor Cultivates Virtue, Not Cultivation

On the second day of the second lunar month, Cao Rui, as the emperor of Wei, personally plowed the Jitian field.

This was his third year on the throne, and also his third time personally tilling the land.

Although the emperor only "pushed the plow three times" and did not actually need to till the land.

But the most important matters of state are sacrifice and warfare.

The emperor's act of personally tilling the land was originally a form of state sacrifice, intended to set an example for the world, emphasize agriculture as the foundation of the nation, communicate with heaven and man, and pray for a bountiful harvest.

Furthermore, even the supreme emperor does not forget the hardships of farming and personally works the land, so how could the officials and common people of the world not devote themselves to cultivating the fields?

However, in the three years since Cao Rui ascended the throne, his communication with Heaven did not seem to be very smooth, not to mention the severe drought last year.

It is now nearly March, a time when all things should be growing, but the fields are still sparsely green, with short, thin seedlings that look lifeless.

Cao Rui's carriage slowly traveled along the official road. He lifted the curtain and gazed at the desolate landscape of the fields.

"Stop the car," he suddenly ordered.

Once the carriage had come to a stop, Cao Rui alighted and walked towards the fields beside the road, followed slowly by his important ministers, including Liu Ye, Xin Pi, and Jiang Ji.

Cao Rui stood on the edge of the field and saw dozens of sallow-faced and emaciated farmers and women turning over the soil with hoes and sticks on the field edges and slopes, but it was not the plowing and tilling that he was most skilled at.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking slightly tired.

After Yang Fu was imprisoned yesterday, he tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, as Yang Fu's curses still echoed in his ears.

"Your Majesty is now blocking channels of communication, disregarding the foundation of the Great Wei for your own selfish desires, thus offending Heaven and losing the hearts of the people."

"Last year, the Luo River dried up, and Guanzhong suffered a severe drought; the memory is still fresh in our minds!"

If we commit this immoral act again, I fear the calamities that will befall us will be even greater than before!

So after getting up early and having a simple meal, he led his officials toward Xinye to see how the severe drought in Guandong last year had affected the people and to see if he was virtuous or not.

Liu Ye, Jiang Ji, Xin Pi, and others were detached from worldly affairs and did not engage in farming. They obviously did not know how to answer the emperor's question and could only stare blankly at the farmers in the fields.

Upon seeing this, Grand Minister of Agriculture Yuan Ba ​​quickly stepped forward, bowed, and explained:

"Your Majesty, a prolonged drought will inevitably lead to locust plagues, and a severe drought will cause locust infestations. This is the so-called method of digging up locusts to control locusts, which is popular among the ignorant men and women. However, it is not a way to control locusts."

"If it cannot be cured, what should be done?" Cao Rui frowned, feeling somewhat bewildered.

He led his elite guards toward an old farmer. The old farmer saw a group of nobles approaching and initially wanted to flee, but then realized it was inappropriate and had no choice but to give up.

Cao Rui walked to the old farmer's side and watched him silently.

The old farmer dug out a large handful of soil with great effort. His dark, withered old hands broke it open, revealing long, thin, pale yellow strands resembling rice ears through the pores.

"What is this?" Cao Rui asked.

"A distinguished person is asking me?" The old farmer was somewhat flustered.

Cao Rui frowned, covered his nose, and took a few steps back.

The old farmer wasn't annoyed. He casually plucked out an insect egg, grinned, and said, "Please look, sir. This is a locust."

Seeing the nobleman frown, the old farmer continued:

"What you may not know is that locusts lay their eggs two or three inches deep underground."

"This single egg mass can hatch dozens or even hundreds of locusts. If it is not dealt with, they will all hatch in the summer, and the locusts will darken the sky and leave no grass growing for hundreds of miles."

Cao Rui frowned, somewhat puzzled, and looked at Yuan Ba, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, behind him:

"Didn't the Grand Minister of Agriculture just say that this method cannot control locusts?"

The old farmer, of course, did not recognize the emperor, nor could he understand the so-called Grand Minister of Agriculture, but he was shocked to hear the words "This method cannot control locusts."

He then timidly interjected:

“My esteemed sir…My esteemed sir, you are wise. Just as chickens hatch from chicken eggs and fish hatch from fish eggs, locusts naturally hatch from locust eggs.”

"The reason why this method of digging up locusts cannot cure locusts or completely eliminate the locust plague is because it cannot dig up every piece of land."

"If the emperor could issue an edict ordering all the people in the land to dig up locust eggs, then this year's locust plague would be somewhat better."

Cao Rui frowned deeply, while Yuan Ba, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, showed a hint of disgust on his face.

The old farmer, seemingly oblivious, continued to chatter with these distinguished guests about the experiences passed down to him from his ancestors, and which he then passed on to his children and grandchildren:

"But... digging up locust eggs cannot completely eliminate them."

"When the locusts swarm, we need to gather the people to light bonfires in the fields at night. When the locusts see the firelight and fly down, we can catch them with fishing nets."

"At the same time... dig a big pit by the field and burn it while you're working."

"This is the experience passed down to us by our ancestors, so whenever there is a drought or locust plague, the number of people who survive in our Xinxiang area is the largest, and the number of disasters we suffer is the smallest."

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui looked around thoughtfully, then dusted himself off and turned to walk toward the emperor's carriage.

He hadn't gone far when he suddenly stopped and turned back to ask Yuan Ba, "Grand Minister of Agriculture, is the old farmer's method of digging up locusts really effective? Is this place truly the one that suffered the least during the locust plagues of previous years?"

Yuan Ba's face showed a troubled expression:

"Your Majesty, I have seen this locust-digging practice in many places."

"But I have never heard of any place where locust plagues were prevented by digging up locusts."

After a pause, he said again:
"Heaven has no favorites, but only virtue is its guide."

"Heaven and earth give birth to and nurture all things, each with its own purpose."

“Locusts are also born of nature and nurtured by the earth. The people here kill locusts excessively, which is against the harmony of nature and contradicts the cultivation of virtue.”

Cao Rui nodded upon hearing this, but then asked in confusion, "Why did the old farmer say that this place has the most living people and the best time to deal with locust plagues?"

Grand Minister of Agriculture Yuan Badao:

"Nanyang is the place where Emperor Shizu of the Later Han Dynasty rose to power. There is a dragon vein hidden underground, and the royal aura protects it, which can protect the people here from divine punishment."

“The ignorant men and women here are unaware of the truth and mistakenly believe that the blessing of the dragon vein is due to their meager digging work.”

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui looked around thoughtfully, his expression becoming somewhat complicated as he surveyed the land beneath his feet that had given birth to the Later Han Dynasty.

In any case, there is no need to avoid the phrase "the place where the Later Han Dynasty rose to power". After all, Cao Wei received the abdication from Han and the mandate of heaven, which was legitimate and just. Why should it be avoided?

Moreover, the Cao Wei rulers and ministers still had to address the emperors of the two Han dynasties, such as Liu Bang and Liu Xiu, as Gaozu and Shizu, to show that they were the legitimate successors of the Mandate of Heaven and that their right to the throne was beyond doubt.

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance.

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a yellow earthen altar set up at the village entrance not far away, with a group of people kneeling and worshipping a Taoist priest dressed in a Taoist robe.

The man was quite tall and stood out in the crowd.

If you get closer, you can see that he is holding a peach wood sword, muttering incantations, and surrounded by smoke.

"What are they praying for?" Cao Rui asked.

A local official hurriedly stepped forward to report:
"Your Majesty, this is a celestial master invited by the local people. He is performing a ritual to pray for rain and drive away the locust god."

“Nowadays, such religious ceremonies are commonplace in various parts of Nanyang.”

"The people all say that it was because the people of Shu caused trouble in the west that they brought disaster upon themselves. Only by praying sincerely can they get rid of the disaster."

As soon as the local official finished speaking, a melodious bell rang out from afar, followed by a series of orderly chantings.

After Zhang Lu surrendered Hanzhong to Cao Cao, Cao Cao relocated Zhang Lu and all the leaders of the Five Pecks of Rice sect to Ye City.

Zhang Lu was appointed General Who Guards the South, enfeoffed as Marquis of Langzhong, and granted a fief of ten thousand households.

Thirteen years ago, Zhang Lu died in Ye City, but his Five Pecks of Rice sect did not disappear.

During Cao Cao's reign, having experienced the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he strictly controlled Zhang Lu's Five Pecks of Rice sect and did not allow them to preach among the people.

But these kinds of things are never really controllable.

The Five Pecks of Rice sect advocates honesty and integrity, urging people to confess their illnesses and take talismanic water to cure their ailments. They also claim that repairing bridges and roads and giving alms can accumulate merit, ensuring that one will not suffer in the next life.

With natural disasters and wars occurring year after year, the people were listless and literally had no will to live. The doctrines of the Five Pecks of Rice sect were just able to meet the spiritual needs of the lower and middle classes.

If you suffer in this life, you'll live a life of luxury in the next. The more hardship you endure in this life, the better you'll live in the next.

In this way, the people thought that if they just endured it, the storm would pass, and they would not rebel.

Cao Pi saw this benefit and stopped using strict laws to restrict the Five Pecks of Rice sect, which then quickly became popular among the people.

The Grand Minister of Agriculture suddenly spoke up:
"Your Majesty is wise."

"During the severe drought last year, followers of the Five Pecks of Rice sect set up altars in various parts of the Central Plains to pray for rain, and the people followed suit by burning incense and worshipping the gods."

"Strangely enough, in July, it rained heavily, and as a result, the Five Pecks of Rice sect gained even more popularity among the people."

Cao Rui nodded upon hearing this.

The emergence of the Five Pecks of Rice sect actually helped the Great Wei Dynasty mitigate the negative impact of the so-called prophecy "When the Luo River dries up, a sage will appear." Although the belief of the ignorant men and women in the Five Pecks of Rice sect also had its drawbacks, it was still more acceptable than their belief that a sage would appear in the West.

Returning to the carriage, Cao Rui turned to Yuan Ba ​​and asked:
"Grand Minister of Agriculture, how does the disaster situation in Henan compare to that in Nanyang?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ba ​​immediately reported:

"Your Majesty, the situation in the prefectures of Henan is more serious than that in Nanyang."

“Even in prosperous counties like Yingchuan, Runan, and Chenliu, the harvest failed last year, and many people had to eat tree bark and grass roots.”

"The situation in Nanyang is slightly better. Last year there was a small harvest, and the people were able to make a living. However, the improvement was limited, and most people were unable to pay their taxes."

"Your Majesty issued an edict last year to postpone the tax collection, so this year the tax must be increased. However, judging from the current situation in Nanyang, if the tax is increased this year, the people will complain bitterly and may not be able to hold out until next year."

At this point, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, who was in charge of the nation's finances, seemed to recall something and said:
"The war on the western front was at a stalemate, and Sima Yi commanded 30,000 to 40,000 troops at Tongguan."

"Tongguan is a narrow and poor place, with no land suitable for military settlements, so it relies entirely on transportation."

"The Tongguan grain route is treacherous, and now the ice jam has made it difficult for grain transport to reach its destination."

"As for the war on the southern front, the Huainan region is a vast, barren land, and grain must be transported from the four prefectures of Yan, Yu, Qing, and Xu, which is quite difficult."

"Although Hebei is prosperous, the grain tax, in addition to supplying the local area, also had to be transported to Luoyang and You and Bing prefectures."

"The Xiangfan army now has a slightly sufficient supply of provisions."

"However, Nanyang is in a poor situation and is not even able to be self-sufficient this year."

"To maintain the 10,000 troops at Wuguan and the 50,000 troops at Xiangfan, the grain must be transported from the south by the two prefectures of Yan and Yu, and even 30% of it must be transported from Qing and Xu."

"However... there are no waterways connecting Nanyang with other parts of the Central Plains, so there is no canal transport. The only way to transport goods is by land from Wuyang to Wan, and then south via the Yu River."

"The two hundred miles of land route were extremely costly, and the transport of grain was equally difficult."

"Your Majesty, I will speak frankly. Since last year, wars have been raging on all sides."

"Although our Great Wei occupies nine...seven...nine provinces, the total number of troops in the country is over five...four hundred thousand. It is already very difficult to support the army. Once the army goes on a long expedition, the daily cost will be more than 30,000 shi (a unit of dry measure).

"Our Great Wei treasury is less than three million. If the war continues into the autumn harvest, the entire territory of Great Wei this year... will probably need to increase taxes by 20%, and we will have to collect a year's worth of taxes from the rich lands in advance to make it sustainable."

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui glanced at the somewhat barren land beneath his feet and was speechless for a moment. As the emperor, and having only recently taken up the plow to plow the fields himself, he knew he should be considerate of the people, but what could he do when the situation forced him to?

Is it possible to stop now?
The opportunity lay there, just like the Battle of Guandu between Emperor Taizu and Yuan Shao. Heaven will not wait until you are fully prepared before handing the opportunity to you. Emperor Taizu survived, and thus he gained eight out of ten kingdoms.

Liu Ye seemed to sense the emperor's worries and stepped forward, saying:

"Your Majesty, our Great Wei, which occupies the vast land and has a population of over four million, is still struggling with food shortages."

"The pseudo-Han state of Western Shu has a territory of less than a thousand miles and a population of no more than a million. Even if it gains control of Guanzhong and Longyou, these two newly subjugated areas are not yet stable. Not only can they not produce grain, but they also need people from Shu to transport it from Bashu over a thousand miles."

"The roads are far more difficult than those of the Great Wei, so where will we get the surplus grain to support years of war?"

He paused for a moment, glanced at the emperor's expression, and seeing that the emperor had indeed taken it to heart, he continued:
"Looking at the Shu barbarians' military tactics, they have already captured four Wu cities—Wuxian, Zigui, Yiling, and Linju—in just two months."

"The speed of the advance and the dangers of the campaign are beyond what can be measured by reason."

"In my humble opinion, this is not an advantage for their military force."

"In reality, their supplies might not be enough, so they had no choice but to take a risk and go all out."

"In other words, the Shu invaders are probably trading the lives of their entire army for time. If they were to forcefully capture the city, it would surely be littered with corpses."

"If we cannot capture Jiangling before our supplies run out, all our previous efforts will be in vain."

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui nodded in understanding, while Jiang Ji, Xin Pi, and other important officials stroked their beards thoughtfully.

"Therefore, I dare to assert that the decisive battle between Wu and Shu at Jiangling will not be too long."

"Our Great Wei only needs to hold Xiangfan and Hefei firmly and wait for the situation to change. When the Shu people run out of food and their troops are exhausted, and the Wu people are severely weakened, that will be the time for our Great Wei to march south and reap the benefits."

Cao Rui finally nodded and said to the Grand Minister of Agriculture:

"Since that's the case, let's make the people suffer a little more. I will issue an edict to increase the taxes of the whole country by 20%, and collect taxes from the four prefectures of Ru, Ying, Wan and Luo for one year in advance."

Grand Minister of Agriculture Yuan Ba ​​immediately clasped his hands and bowed deeply.

After raising his head, he remembered something else and said:
"Your Majesty, I have another matter to report."

Cao Rui's mind was elsewhere; his eyes were unfocused as he gazed at the fields, and he casually said, "Tell me about it."

Yuan Ba ​​took a deep breath and sighed:

"Your Majesty's initial restoration of the Wuzhu coin was indeed a good policy for the country. Grain, cloth, salt, and iron were able to circulate among the people, trade in wealthy counties was able to resume, and the country also collected a lot of customs duties and market rents as a result."

Customs duties have existed since ancient times. During the Han Dynasty, checkpoints were set up at key transportation routes, passes, bridges, and ferry crossings in various places to levy customs duties on goods passing through. The tax ranged from as little as 10% to as much as 50%.

Currently, the three kingdoms are in a state of tripartite division, and wars are frequent. Local checkpoints serve two purposes: military inspection and taxation of itinerant merchants. They are an important part of the fiscal revenue of each country.

The commercial tax system of the Three Kingdoms was inherited from that of the Han Dynasty, and the bureaucratic system of the Han Dynasty was also continued, with official positions such as General of the Treasury, Commandant of Passes and Ferry, Market Magistrate, and Mayor.

After Cao Pi ascended the throne, he once ordered a reduction in customs and ferry taxes. The so-called "reduction of customs and ferry taxes" meant that the commercial taxes levied by Cao Cao during his reign were more than one-tenth higher.

As for market rent, it was a certain tax levied on shops within the official market established by the government; in other words, it was the market management fee at that time.

The mayor or city magistrate is responsible for managing the market, stabilizing prices, and collecting market rents.

At this moment, Yuan Ba, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, took out several coins of varying weights from his sleeve:
"Your Majesty, restoring the Wuzhu coin is indeed a good policy. However, the country is short of copper and cannot mint more high-quality coins. As a result, inferior coins and private money are rampant in the private market."

"Your Majesty, please look. These privately minted coins are thin and of poor quality, containing less than half the copper of those officially minted. Their shapes are also crude and unpalatable. The people would rather exchange cloth and grain for goods than accept these inferior coins."

"The method of using five-zhu coins will ultimately lead to the wealthy profiting and exploiting the common people, which is probably unworkable."

Yuan Ba ​​originally wanted to say that because of the disastrous defeat in Guanzhong last year, the Han army was on the rise again, the world was about to fall into chaos, and the people's confidence in the currency of the Great Wei had been shaken. However, he thought of Yang Fu, who had just been imprisoned the day before, and so he swallowed his words.

Cao Rui took the few light coins, weighed them in his hand for a long time, and finally opened his palm, letting the coins fall to the ground: "Since it can't be done, then let's abolish it again."

The Grand Minister of Agriculture finally stepped down.

On the other side, Grand Commandant Liu Ye, along with veteran officials such as Jiang Ji and Xin Pi, had been talking for a long time. At this opportune moment, they approached the emperor's side and said:

"His Majesty.

"The greatest thing in the universe is Yin and Yang."

"Yang represents virtue, Yin represents punishment. Nowadays, disasters and anomalies are frequently seen in the world, and locust plagues are about to occur. This is probably a warning from heaven and earth to the human world."

The Spring and Autumn Annals states: "Locust plagues are a great calamity for a country; they occur when the government fails to govern properly."

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui frowned, seemingly about to erupt in anger, but quickly suppressed his emotions.
"Since I ascended the throne, I have never dared to neglect state affairs."

"Last year there was a severe drought, this year there are locusts, Guanzhong has been lost, and the imperial heir has died young. Could it be that I have failed in my duties and offended Heaven?"

Liu Ye hurriedly shook his head and denied it:

Your Majesty is mistaken!
"I have heard that when ancient sage kings encountered natural disasters, they would avoid the palace and reduce their meals."

"Your Majesty has repeatedly avoided the palace and reduced your meals, but you cannot avoid it or reduce it. The drought cannot be stopped and the locusts cannot be eradicated. It is clear that the one who fails to cultivate virtuous governance is not Your Majesty, but the Three Dukes."

"Your Majesty, the Son of Heaven, governs the people on behalf of Heaven."

"The three dukes assist the emperor, and the three ministers correspond to the three highest officials."

"If virtuous governance is not practiced throughout the land, the blame will first fall on the ministers who assist the Three Dukes."

"As the Grand Commandant, in charge of military affairs, I failed to quell the Shu bandits for Your Majesty, resulting in the defeat in Guanzhong and the loss in Longyou. This is my first fault!"

At this point, the descendant of Liu Yan, son of Emperor Guangwu and Prince of Fuling, raised his head, and tears welled up in his old eyes:

“Since last year, there have been continuous disasters and strange occurrences. Every night, I examine my conscience and feel terrified.”

"The locust plague is about to occur, which is a warning from Heaven to Your Majesty that your ministers are not human!"
"I am of meager virtue and limited ability, yet I hold a high position and have brought this calamity upon myself. If I cling to power and refuse to resign, how can I face the people of the world and the myriad citizens of the Great Wei?"
"Your subject requests to resign from office, return to the fields to atone for the divine punishment, and step aside from the path of the virtuous. In this way, perhaps you can appease the will of Heaven and bring peace to the common people!"

After Liu Ye finished speaking, he prostrated himself and kowtowed deeply.

Cao Rui, sensing something amiss, quickly stepped forward and helped the veteran official, who had served three emperors, to his feet. After a moment of silence, he let out a long sigh.
"Why has the Grand Commandant gone to such lengths?"
"The army was defeated in Guanzhong, and the Grand Commandant was far away in Luoyang. What crime has he committed?"

"If there is any guilt, it is due to my improper command. The Shu barbarians are cunning, how can I blame the Grand Commandant?"

"As for the natural disaster that led to his dismissal... I know the Grand Commandant's intentions, but it is not permissible."

At that moment, the Commandant of the Guards, Xin Pi, stepped forward and reported:
"Your Majesty, the Grand Commandant's loyalty is as clear as day and night."

"However, these are turbulent times, and the Grand Commandant is ultimately a pillar of the state. If he were to be removed abruptly, it would be detrimental to the nation's reputation."

"In my humble opinion, it is advisable to temporarily suspend the Grand Commandant from his post and allow him to assume the position of Grand Master of the Palace while he reflects on his mistakes and cultivates virtue in his residence. Once the weather is calm and the weather is restored, he can be reinstated, which would also demonstrate Your Majesty's intentions."

Taking advantage of this step, Cao Rui slowly nodded, holding Liu Ye's two old hands, their eyes meeting:
"Since that is the case, I grant the Grand Commandant's request to temporarily suspend his post as Grand Commandant and appoint him as Grand Master of the Palace. He may return home to reflect on his actions and strive to improve his character so that he may continue to serve the Great Wei in the future."

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness!" Liu Ye broke free from the emperor's hand and kowtowed again.

Cao Rui helped Liu Ye up again and said, "I will fast and bathe for three days, and then set up an altar to pray for rain in Mianbei, so as to move Heaven and hope to quell the locust plague."

(End of this chapter)