Chapter 1151 The civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty are not as good as the affairs of a school
Before the three kingdoms of Han, Wei, and Wu came together, Wei was the only country that cultivated land on a large scale to resume farming.
After the establishment of the Three Kingdoms, Jihan was the only country that devoted all its efforts to the restoration and development of irrigation projects left by its predecessors.
As for Wu State, I'm sorry, although there have been some actions, the scale is not too large.
By now, Wei has lost its advantage in farming.
Ji Han, however, still retained the tradition of attaching great importance to water conservancy and irrigation projects during his time as prime minister.
After all, when the prime minister took over the Han Dynasty, there was only one state in the southwest, and it was still riddled with holes and precarious.
The war abroad was a disastrous defeat, and powerful enemies were on the lookout.
Wearing filial piety at home will make people's hearts fluctuate.
At that time, Yizhou was really exhausted.
Facing the impending moves of the Shu family, the imperial court had to find ways to gain more money and food in order to seize the initiative in the game with the local tyrants.
Controlling floods, re-cultivation, and taxation became an inevitable choice.
If Ji Han was forced by the situation, then the Wei State that year actually had many more choices than Ji Han.
It is a pity that after Cao Pi took over the Wei State, he preferred to recruit civilians to dig canals so that dragon boats could go directly from Luoyang to the Huaihe River, making it easier for him to lead his army on the streets.
They are also unwilling to properly reorganize the farmland and guest houses left by Cao Cao.
So much so that the Hakka Mansion, which made great contributions to Cao Cao's unification of the north, actually became a burden in the hands of Cao Pi.
When Cao Rui ascended the throne, he liked to engage in civil engineering.
But the direction is toward the palace, not the water conservancy.
After Ji Han captured Longyou Liangzhou and formed a commanding position over Guanzhong, Cao Rui wanted to make amends, but it was already too late.
Feng Guiwang, who mastered the art of slaying dragons, accurately saw the inherent potential flaws of the Wei state.
More importantly, he also knows what historical trends this flaw will cause in the future.
What he has to do is to add fuel to this trend and let the evil consequences come earlier and backfire on Wei State.
The alliance between Han and Wu can continuously take turns to attack, leaving Cao Rui unable to take action at all.
Every time Cao Rui wanted to integrate internally, he would find that Han and Wu always sent troops to invade the territory at the right moment.
Especially Ji Han's tremendous pressure on Wei, which forced Cao Rui to repeatedly give up his plan to eliminate domestic abuses.
On the contrary, he was forced to rely more and more on aristocratic families.
It can be said that the actual division of Wei State and the division of Luoyang and Xuchang were the result of the combined effect of internal and external factors.
To this day, the situation in the Han and Wei dynasties has been reversed.
Not to mention that Jihan also has new irrigation tools in addition to water conservancy and irrigation projects.
When we captured Longyou, we encountered a severe drought in Longyou.
At that time, Feng Duhu stayed in Longyou, built many waterwheels, and accumulated a lot of experience in drought prevention.
Over the years, various types of waterwheels have been developed from simple high-tube waterwheels.
Human power, animal power, water power, high tube, low tube, rollover, single group, multiple groups...
The usage of poor and poor, the usage of rich and rich.
No matter what kind of terrain, there is always a suitable one for you.
With the level of farming and the area under cultivation during the Three Kingdoms era, as long as we don’t encounter a severe drought that only happens once in a century.
For example, it is like a situation where there is a scorching drought and smoke, and the land is bare for thousands of miles.
In other words, as long as there is water in the river, there is no need to worry too much about not being able to pump out water for irrigation.
Ma Jun, who invented the keel waterwheel in history, was building the city wall in Luoyang at this time.
I don’t know if Ma Jun is really moving bricks, but that’s what the Taifu of Wei said.
It’s just that no matter what, the foundation of Wei State is much better than that of Wu State.
Facing the spring drought in the third year of Yanxi, Xuchang and Luoyang were able to survive even if they exhausted their last bit of foundation.
But the state of Wu is different.
To the east of Yuzhang, Danyang County and Wu County, centered on Jianye, are the main grain-producing areas.
But Wu County is a place where many Jiangdong families live, and the prime fields that are convenient for water irrigation have long been occupied by local tyrants.
Ordinary people can barely survive in normal times. In this kind of drought, they have no ability to resist natural disasters.
As for Danyang County, it is barely enough to support the imperial government's treasury expenditures. Where can there be excess food for disaster relief?
The situation in Jingzhou, west of Yuzhang, is much more complicated.
Jingzhou was originally the site of the Fourth War. In the past few years, it was almost burned to ashes by the war.
It was not until the Battle of Yiling that things became more stable.
Lu Xun was in charge of the Jingzhou farm. Unexpectedly, only three years later, the farm started to show results, and he was transferred to Wuchang.
Then, King Feng Gui took advantage of the situation and vigorously promoted sugar cane cultivation.
Now the whole Jingzhou is cultivating sugar cane in exchange for brown sugar to earn money, and then use the money to buy grain from Shu.
In the past, if we were really desperate and had no food to eat, it would not be impossible to cut down the sugar cane and plant food again.
Anyway, when the Jingzhou officials look to the west and even rise up, it must not be because they are bored or like eating brown sugar.
It must be because Sun Wu was unpopular and everyone wanted to resist the tyranny of a single man.
As of now, the sugar cane in Jingzhou is even more immobile.
Because the State of Wu still owed a large debt to Ji Han.
Part of the mortgage for this debt was Jingzhou’s jaggery production.
Ji Han has just shipped the first batch of weapons and armor this year. On your side, Wu State, suddenly said that the collateral cannot be delivered on time?
No matter how generous and generous Feng Duhu is, he will still be in a difficult situation when encountering this kind of thing.
The things belonging to the great man did not fall from the sky, so why should they be so wasted?
So, benevolent government and caring for the people is not a vague slogan.
Perhaps there is no benefit to the ruler in daily life, and it may even make the ruler feel too constrained and unable to do whatever he wants.
But when encountering natural or man-made disasters, it can help people have a greater chance of overcoming difficulties.
At the same time, it also allows the rulers to continue to sing and dance and enjoy peace for a longer period of time.
There won’t be someone in your government who always wants to light a fire in the temple and then howl like a fox.
Just like Emperor Wu, who had spent these years making big money to plunder private wealth, when he suddenly encountered this situation, he was dumbfounded.
At this time, let alone sending people to sea.
Whether the cavalry army can be formed on time next year is a question.
In less than a month, official documents from the local government flew in like snow flakes, all of which were urgent.
Sun Quan asked the ministers in the court how to deal with it, but all the ministers were at a loss. No one in the civil and military dynasty had a way to deal with it.
After all, this is God’s arrangement. Besides praying to God for rain and mercy, what else can you do?
In the end, Prime Minister Gu Yong, who was mature and prudent, proposed a solution that was not a solution:
Let Tai Shi Ling calculate the good times and auspicious days, and send important ministers of the court to various places to preside over rain.
Other than that, Sun Quan had no better way, so he naturally agreed.
After all, there is no money in the treasury!
Praying for rain is already a cheap way.
It’s just that there is a drought all over the country now. There are so many counties and counties, so we can’t send out everyone in the court, right?
Just when Sun Quan was discussing with his ministers how to arrange manpower, the prince Sun Deng, who had just recently been ill, took the initiative to ask for a tassel and was willing to go out to various places to pray for rain.
Seeing that the prince was so considerate of him, Emperor Wu couldn't help but be moved.
But he seemed hesitant about this matter and looked at General Wei Quan Cong:
“General Wei, what do you think of the prince’s invitation?”
Sun Quan didn’t ask anyone else, he only asked Quan Cong, all because of one thing:
After proclaiming himself emperor, he sent the prince to lead an army on an expedition, but no one among the ministers dared to persuade him.
This dissuaded Sun Quan and asked people to chase Sun Deng back from the expedition.
But Quan Cong stood up and answered:
“It is a great kindness for the prince to consider His Majesty’s concerns and to sympathize with the sufferings of the people.”
Seeing this, Sun Quan nodded and agreed to Sun Deng's request.
After returning to the harem after the end of the dynasty, Sun Quan looked worried and couldn't help but sigh:
Begging for rain is just a helpless act. Who knows whether it will succeed in the end?
Moreover, even if God is merciful and it rains, I'm afraid this year's farming will be delayed.
“Your Majesty, another document has been sent from the local government.”
Lu Yi, who was responsible for supervising the central and local state and county clerical affairs, saw that His Majesty was not in a good mood, but he still had to bite the bullet and report it.
Sun Quan was even more displeased when he heard this:
“About the drought again?”
“Exactly.”
"Don't look at it! It's the same thing, the same rhetoric. Do they know nothing else but this?"
Facing Lu Yi, who was a kind retainer, Sun Quan had no need to restrain his temper like he did in the court.
But I saw him saying slightly angrily:
“I sent them to work on behalf of the emperor’s herdsmen! I want them to solve problems for me! I don’t want them to just send out urgent messages all day long.”
Lu Yi, who would always try his best to avoid situations like this, naturally came up to him at this time, not to cause trouble for Emperor Wu.
After Sun Quan got angry, Lu Yi said softly:
“Your Majesty, as the saying goes, the only way to plan for a year is in spring. Now that there is a spring drought, it is better to make plans for winter as early as possible.”
Sun Quan was very upright and became even more irritable when he heard this:
"Don't I know? But what can I do? If I ask for rain myself and get it, not just once, but ten or eight times, I can do it."
Lv Yi continued to remind:
“Your Majesty, if you ask for rain at this time, even if you can ask for rain, I’m afraid it’s already too late!”
“Therefore, I think that instead of praying for rain, Your Majesty might as well think of ways to ask for food and stock up on food to prevent hunger at the end of the year. This is the right time!”
Sun Quan, who has been in a state of irritability and anxiety these days, was immediately excited when Lu Yi said this:
“If we miss the spring plowing, where will the food come from?”
Everyone knows that the root cause of this matter is food.
But now there is drought in Jiangnan and Huaibei. Who will have surplus food?
What Lu Yi and others are talking about is Sun Quan’s sentence.
He smiled slightly and moved closer:
"The school affairs office supervises the documents, so I have already known about your majesty's concerns. If your majesty is worried, it is an insult to me."
“I dare not forget it if it is an insult. I have inquired about it. In the Shu region, the price of food has only increased slightly. I heard that this year’s drought will have little impact on the west.”
Sun Quan couldn't help being surprised when he heard Lu Yi's words:
“Are you serious about this statement?”
Lv Yi said quickly:
"How dare I make false claims about such a major matter? I have already inquired about the transportation and supplies between the school office and the Han Dynasty."
Since the Emperor of the Han Dynasty moved the capital to Chang'an, the Nanxiang Exchange also moved to Chang'an.
But the Han Wu Yi City established in Yong'an finally came into play at this time.
Yongan Yishi, modeled after the Nanxiang Exchange, lists bulk material prices every day and also undertakes material delivery contracts.
But it was limited to the transactions between Shu and Wu.
But this is enough.
Part of the caravan stewards who came from Wudi finally no longer had to travel the wrong way to Nanxiang to inquire about business news.
Lu Yi's surprise for Sun Quan didn't stop there.
“Furthermore, I have contacted the Han State and said that they will buy more grain this year, and they are already making preparations.”
When Sun Quan heard this, his eyes suddenly widened:
“Seriously?”
“Your Majesty, the contract has been prepared and we are just waiting for your Majesty’s agreement.”
"Okay, okay! This is a great thing. Why wait for my consent? Just accept it!"
Although I don’t know how much grain Lu Yi can buy from Shu for emergency relief, one more load of grain is one more guarantee.
What's more, Han has always had plenty of food.
The number of those who have signed the contract is probably not small...
Thinking of this, Sun Quan remembered another thing:
“Where did the money to buy food come from?”
“Your Majesty, this is exactly why your Majesty needs to agree.”
Lu Yi said, "Actually, this batch of grain was not paid for by the treasury. It came from a large family in Jingzhou. They sympathized with Your Majesty and were willing to share your worries."
"Them?" Sun Quan was startled, "Are they so kind?"
Certainly not because they have good intentions.
It’s because the school office is in Jingzhou and there are many sugarcane plantation operatives!
"Your Majesty, of course they are not so kind, and they naturally want something."
Lv Yi explained:
"Now there is rebellion in Jiaozhou, and then rebels. Those rebellious ministers and traitors attacked Lingling and Guiyang, and the chaos spread to Jingnan."
“Many Jiaozhou magnates and even military officers were involved.”
“For example, the rebel generals Liao Shi and Liao Qian brothers not only have a lot of fertile land at home, but also led the soldiers to build a lot of land in Jingzhou in the past few years.”
“Logically speaking, their fields will be confiscated by the government. Now the families in Jingzhou are thinking of buying them all.”
When Sun Quan heard this, a sneer appeared on his face:
"Buy it? I think they want to protect the relatives of the two thieves of the Liao family, right?"
Lu Yi did not deny it, but followed Sun Quan’s words and said:
"Your Majesty, the Liao family is considered a wealthy family in Jingzhou. The relatives of the two thieves of the Liao family will definitely be punished, and they dare not protect them."
“But for the rest of the people, their sins did not lead to death. It is only human nature that Mr. Liao is willing to pay for their sins and pay for them.”
Since the Han Dynasty, it is normal not only to pay for one’s sins but also to buy an official position.
Sun Quan really wanted to blame the Jingzhou Liao family for this incident, but he couldn't do it.
More importantly, Dawu is now in a shortage of food.
If nothing else is done, there may be a famine at the end of the year.
At this time, Emperor Wu was naturally happy to go with the flow.
But he was still angry:
“It’s okay to pay for food, but the price…”
He glanced at Lu Yi.
Lu Yi understood and quickly smiled and said:
“Your Majesty, don’t worry, I know what to do.”
"You have always done things that are in line with my wishes." Seeing this, Sun Quan's face finally relaxed a little, "It's just that this matter is of great importance."
"Since they are willing to pay for food, don't be polite. This is not the time for friendship."
Emperor Wu would definitely not be stingy if someone took advantage of him and was slaughtered.
Looking at Lu Yi again, Sun Quan was both sad and happy:
The civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty are not as good as a school office that can take care of my worries. What use do you have?
(End of this chapter)