The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

Chen Huai'an was utterly speechless.

He knew that Xiao Yu strongly advocated restoring the so-called perfect system, namely the feudal system, and had said so publicly more than once.

Unexpectedly, this guy was so persistent that he even brought up the feudal system in front of him.

Chen Huai'an ignored him and said to Wei Zheng, "The equal-field system and the militia system do indeed have huge hidden dangers."

"But there's no other way; the Tang Dynasty had to use these two systems."

"Why do you say that?" Wei Zheng asked, puzzled.

"This was forced upon us by the times," Chen Huai'an sighed. "Think about it, what was the situation like at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty?"

"In the fifth year of Emperor Yang of Sui's reign (1264), there were about nine million households in the country. By the Wude era (1265), only two million households remained, a loss of more than 70% of the population."

"A large number of people died or fled, leaving behind a vast expanse of unclaimed wasteland."

"At the end of the Sui Dynasty, warlords were in power, and the army was privately owned. The country did not have a unified military system, and the national treasury was empty. It could not even pay the salaries of officials, let alone the military pay."

"The Tang Dynasty was built on the ruins of a small population, a large land area, an empty treasury, and a chaotic military system."

"Therefore, the only option is to implement the equal-field system and the militia system in order to restore people's livelihood as soon as possible and reduce the cost of the army."

Wei Zheng was stunned for a moment before hesitantly nodding.

He understood somewhat and pondered, "There is too much wasteland in the Tang Dynasty, no one is farming it, the country has no tax revenue, there are too many refugees, if they are not resettled they will rebel, powerful families will take advantage of the chaos to seize land, we must suppress them, rebuild the household registration and taxation system, we must first let the farmers have land to farm."

"Therefore, the only option is to implement the equal-field system?"

"That's right," Chen Huai'an said. "As for the local militia, that's understandable given the previous information."

Why was the Fubing system (a military system based on conscription) necessary?

"Because the country doesn't have the money to maintain a standing army, and the conscription system requires paying military salaries, which the national treasury can't afford."

"The loyalty of the private armies at the end of the Sui Dynasty was too low, and they had to be unified."

"And the Tang Dynasty was also threatened by the Turks, so it was necessary to maintain a strong military force."

"So, do you understand now?"

Xiao Yu chuckled and said, "Based on all these factors, the advantages of the Fubing system become apparent. It combines soldiers and farmers, allowing them to farm in peacetime and fight in wartime, almost achieving zero military expenditure to support the army."

"In summary, it's not that we chose the equal-field system and the militia system, but rather that we had no choice but to use these two systems."

"Yes, we had no choice..." Chen Huai'an said with a sigh.

The so-called equal-field system meant that the government would uniformly allocate 100 mu of land to able-bodied men aged 21 to 59.

Of these, 20 mu were Yongyetian and 80 mu were Koufentian.

Yongye land can be passed down to descendants, and can be used to grow cash crops such as mulberry and elm trees. It can also be bought and sold if conditions permit.

After death, the allotted land reverts to the state for redistribution and, in principle, cannot be bought or sold.

The Tang Dynasty adopted this system, which enabled the rapid recovery of production, ensuring that everyone had land to cultivate and that grain production recovered quickly.

Where there is land, there are households; where there are households, there are taxes; only then can the finances of the Tang Dynasty be stable.

The Fubing (府兵) were conscripted from the farmers who participated in the equal-field system.

Those with equal wealth should be chosen based on strength; those with equal power should be chosen based on wealth; and those with equal wealth and power should be chosen based on the number of male offspring.

Normally, the soldiers would farm at home, and every winter they would gather for military training. In times of war, the imperial court would order the soldiers to prepare their own weapons, horses, and provisions, and then assemble for battle.

After the war, the soldiers dispersed to their residences, and the generals returned to the court.

These practices put little pressure on the treasury, because the soldiers were all self-employed farmers with land, were well-off, and were in good physical condition.

Because they have their own equipment, they cherish it and won't throw it away carelessly.

The imperial court allocated land to them to ensure their livelihood, so they were very loyal.

More importantly, the soldiers were dispersed to their prefectures while the generals returned to the court, meaning that generals did not command troops in peacetime but were temporarily appointed during wartime.

Soldiers and generals did not have a long-term subordinate relationship, and generals could not hold onto their troops and become powerful, which greatly reduced the possibility of rebellion.

"Then, Mr. Chen, where is the hidden danger you mentioned?" Wei Zheng couldn't help but wonder. Wasn't this method quite good?

What's wrong?

Chen Huai'an glanced at him: "Let me explain the cause and effect to you, and you'll understand."

"Based on the equal-field system, peasants owned land, and with land, their families were well-off, able to provide their own equipment, and they cherished it greatly. After all, this was their guarantee for going to the battlefield in the future, and they dared not not cherish it, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Wei Zheng replied. "Doesn't this mean the Fubing system is feasible?"

"Yes, that's how it seems at the moment." Chen Huai'an did not refute Wei Zheng. "These two systems are symbiotic; neither can be dispensed with."

"The equal-field system allowed farmers to cultivate land and become self-sufficient farmers. Self-sufficient farmers were well-off and could provide their own weapons and equipment to join the army. The militia were strong and protected the safety of the Tang Dynasty. Only when the Tang Dynasty was safe could farmers cultivate the land with peace of mind, and only then could the equal-field system be maintained."

"This is a perfect closed loop, it sounds pretty good!"

Wei Zheng's lips moved slightly, but he did not speak.

If he's right, it's coming.

"But..." Chen Huai'an changed the subject, "The basis of the equal-field system was that the war at the end of the Sui Dynasty caused the loss of 70% of the population, and countless fields were abandoned and uncultivated, so the government had enough land to distribute."

"But when the population begins to recover on a large scale, coupled with the limited land supply and the serious problem of land consolidation, how long can the equal-field system continue to distribute land to the people?"

"Is it possible that the government, which can currently allocate 100 mu of land to the people, will gradually reduce that to only 80, 60, or 30 mu?"

"By then, will the equal-field system still be able to be implemented, and will the accompanying militia system still exist?"

"..."

Wei Zheng opened his mouth wide, wanting to refute, but unable to.

Is it possible that what Chen Huai'an described could happen?

That's entirely possible.

After three generations, the Tang Dynasty became increasingly prosperous, and the population grew significantly. Let alone recovering to the peak of the Sui Dynasty with nine million households, even if it only recovered to seven million households, would there still be so much land left after the land consolidation and continuous equal distribution of land during the three generations?

If it were gone, wouldn't the equal-field system collapse, and the garrison troops that depended on it would also fall apart?

"Mr. Chen... this..." Wei Zheng panicked immediately, "What should we do?"

"What should we do?" Chen Huai'an shook his head. "This is no small matter; I need to think about it carefully."

"Furthermore, what I just told you is only one of the reasons. The equal-field system and the militia system have four major fatal hidden dangers."

Wei Zheng's eyes widened, and Xiao Yu was also shocked.

Was that just one of the fatal flaws?

There are four such defects?

"Sigh!" Chen Huai'an sighed. "Don't worry, the equal-field system and the militia system won't collapse for at least a hundred years. We can slowly figure out a solution."

"Currently the most..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Huai'an was suddenly hit on the head by something, and the force was quite strong.

Chen Huai'an flew into a rage: "Damn it, who dares to smash me?"

He had just finished speaking when he suddenly realized something was wrong. Hailstones of all sizes were falling from the sky, hitting the ground and making a series of sounds.

Chen Huai'an suddenly remembered something.

May of the second year of Zhenguan!

Locusts in the capital region have severely damaged crops; hailstorms, as large as chicken eggs, have also destroyed fields and crops.

"..."