Han Shizu

Chapter 1201 Lack of people in cultivated land
"Wang Yansheng!" Emperor Liu called out with a half-smile, looking at Wang Yansheng, who was hulking but bowed.

"Your Majesty is here! What are your orders?" Wang Yansheng looked calm and respectful, as obedient as a cat.

"It's more difficult to wield a hoe than to wear a strong stick, isn't it?" Emperor Liu said.

Hearing this, Wang Yansheng immediately murmured in his heart, and who brought his words to the emperor's side?Taking a careful look at Emperor Liu, Wang Yansheng smiled innocently: "Your Majesty, you are an acquainted minister. You are good at putting on horses and charging into battle. The work in this field is really difficult!"

"There are so many soldiers in the Han Dynasty, how many of them are from farming families? You have led troops in the northwest for many years, which soldier didn't pick up a knife to kill thieves, and dismounted to plow the fields?" Emperor Liu's tone immediately became stricter, and said: "The country is based on agriculture. Food is the most important thing for the people, why do you despise farming and hate farming and mulberry so much?"

Seeing the emperor's attitude, Wang Yansheng immediately changed his face, cupped his hands and said solemnly: "Your Majesty is serious. I have no such intentions. It's just a perennial army, and I don't pay much attention to the soil and fields. If your majesty really asks me to farm the land, I won't do it. There is no other way, this year's spring plowing, it doesn't matter if you live by the field and take care of the crops!"

Seeing this, Emperor Liu smiled and glared at him: "Let you, a veteran of the battlefield, go to plow the land, even if you have no complaints, others will talk about how I employ people!"

Hearing this, Wang Yansheng chuckled.Looking at him, Emperor Liu pointed to his side and ordered, "Sit!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Wang Yansheng did not refuse, and pressed his butt on a turned up clod of soil.

"I come to ask you, how much land does your family have?" Emperor Liu asked him.

Wang Yansheng was obviously stunned and didn't know how to answer for a moment.Seeing this, he frowned slightly, and Emperor Liu's voice became heavier: "Why, is this question difficult to answer?"

Wang Yansheng shook his head again and again, and finally choked out an answer: "I don't know either."

Raising his eyebrows and showing a surprised expression, Emperor Liu said, "You don't even know how many acres you own? Is it too many to measure?"

Wang Yansheng was a little embarrassed, and replied: "I have never paid attention to it. The affairs of the mansion have always been taken care of by the madam. The imperial court has rewarded some meritorious fields, which should be less than a thousand mu. When the minister returns to the mansion, ask the madam, Tell Your Majesty again."

"That's all!" Emperor Liu waved his hand and said with a light smile, "You, you don't even know how many fields your family has. Fortunately, you have a wife who can manage the house, otherwise."

After speaking, Emperor Liu said leisurely: "If it's within a thousand acres, it's not much compared to those homes that easily cost hundreds of acres!"

In the early years, the meritorious officials were rewarded with a lot of land, but later they were abolished, and they were treated purely as Juelu.However, after so many years, some of the land of some Gongqing's family has also lost a lot.Especially within the tax-free quota, some people are gradually purchasing.

"It's useless to have too much!" Wang Yansheng said directly: "No matter how much land you have, if no one cultivates it, it will end in abandonment."

Unable to bear a glance at Wang Yansheng, Emperor Liu pondered for a moment and asked, "Is your land short of people?"

Speaking of this, Wang Yansheng also answered honestly: "Before, my wife had whispered this matter in my ear. For this reason, during the farming season, the servants in the mansion were sent to the fields, and some villagers were hired to help, so it was resolved."

From the situation of Wang Yansheng's family, we can get a glimpse of the current land and population of the big man.Up to now, there is still no shortage of big landlords in the Han Dynasty, especially noble military landlords. However, although there are many lands, not many are really used.

The limitation is that there are people who can cultivate land but no one, and the extra land is just for display.The reason for this is that the farming population of the Han Dynasty is far from being saturated. In the early days, ordinary people also owned and managed their own land. Coupled with the further development of commerce, the booming handicraft industry also absorbed a large number of farming and herding population.

Therefore, for many big landlords, even if there is enough land and not enough human labor, they cannot create enough value and wealth.At that time, the reason why Emperor Liu carried out large-scale relocation in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, apart from suppressing the powerful, the main purpose was to liberate the population and labor force parasitic in the homes of these wealthy families.Population and land cannot survive alone.

"Guanglie!" Emperor Liu suddenly called again.

"Your Majesty!" Wang Yansheng stood up reflexively.

"It's been a few years since you returned to Beijing to serve in the Imperial Army after the Battle of Hexi!" Emperor Liu said.

Wang Yansheng cupped his hands and said, "Return to Your Majesty, five years and seven months!"

"You remember this clearly!" Emperor Liu glanced at him, and said, "The general at the edge of the town will be stationed in Beijing for a long time, like a tiger in a prison, and you will get tired of it!"

Hearing this, Wang Yansheng immediately said: "The two capitals are prosperous, how can I stay enough, but I have not been active for a long time, I am afraid that my bones will become old, and I will not be able to attack the city for your majesty!"

"Haha!" Emperor Liu smiled, and said to Liu Yang beside him, "Look, Wang Guanglie is said to be rough, but he is still very good at talking!"

"It all depends on His Majesty's instruction!" Wang Yansheng said again.

The smile gradually faded, and Emperor Liu said to him seriously: "I would like to sit in the frontier and lead the troops!"

Seeing this, Wang Yansheng did not hesitate at all: "Your Majesty, please give me instructions!"

"Let's go to Hexi!" Emperor Liu said decisively.

Wang Yansheng's eyes lit up, and he took the initiative to ask: "May I ask Your Majesty, do you want to attack the Western Regions, or go north to attack Liao?"

"Things that affect the whole body by one hair, can't be easily settled!" Emperor Liu was satisfied with Wang Yansheng's positive attitude, and his expression became more gentle: "Guo Jin, I also plan to send to the northwest. You were the first to lead the way. Recover Gansu, now, continue to partner, after returning to the city, there will be orders delivered!"

Finally, Emperor Liu added another sentence: "In addition, the preparations for war must be done well, and you can go to war at any time!"

"Yes!" Wang Yansheng's voice was a little high.

"It seems that the big Han still lacks the population for farming! Our officials and nobles, especially!" After Wang Yansheng resigned, Emperor Liu said to Liu Yang with emotion.

"Father, you have always insisted on suppressing the powerful and suppressing mergers. Since there is such a shortage of people and farming, you will not blindly merge and seek more. This is a good thing!" Liu Yang thought for a while and said.

Emperor Liu shook his head, and said calmly: "Restraining mergers is certainly a policy, but you should not waste food because of choking. If the land is vacant, it is also deserted. More importantly, since there are problems, smart people will find ways to solve them. Yes, if they have this need, they will take action. In this case, how do you think people who lack the power of the people will solve it, so as to prevent their land from being abandoned?"

"This..." Liu Yang hesitated, frowned and asked, "Are you worried that there will be forced labor?"

"Without investigation, how do you know?" Emperor Liu said softly.

Liu Yang understood it, and took the initiative to say: "I will order the censors and inspectors in various places to pay attention to this matter and see if there is such a situation!"

"En!" Emperor Liu responded, and then said: "After returning to the palace, preparations for the court meeting, court restructuring, and official position adjustments have been brewing for so long, and everyone must be waiting impatiently. It's time for a result."

Basically, Emperor Liu stayed in the field all day, and when he returned to the palace at the end, his back was sore and his back hurt. After all, he was old and pampered.Working in the field is really harder than riding a horse and archery.

"Sir Zhao Pu, see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" In the guard of honor, Zhao Pu hurriedly came to see him at the call of the Crown Prince.

Because of Emperor Liu's instruction, Liu Yang was also very respectful to Zhao Pu, and his attitude was like a drizzle, and he said in a gentle voice: "Mr.

Seeing this, Zhao Pu looked around, bowed his hands and said, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

Then, with the support of a servant, he boarded the car.The interior was filled with a faint fragrance, looking at Zhao Pu, Liu Yang didn't talk nonsense, and said directly: "I have summoned you to ask for advice!"

"Don't dare to do it! Please tell your Highness, I will tell you everything!" Zhao Pu responded immediately.

Liu Yang said: "How many acres of land are registered in the Han Dynasty?"

Upon hearing the question, Zhao Pu replied ably: "According to the current records, all registered farmland, including military farmland and occupational farmland, has a total of 390 million hectares of cultivated farmland nationwide!"

"Is this less, or more?" Liu Yang asked.

"Based on the current population of the Dahan, it's quite a lot! I have checked the records of the earth fields in the past dynasties, and the current land situation of the Dahan has a lot of room for reclamation!"

Nodding his head slightly, Liu Yang thought for a while, and talked to Zhao Pu about the topic that Emperor Liu just talked about, and then asked for advice: "About the lack of people's power in the land of the princes, both your majesty and Gu are worried that there will be coercion of the people, How can Xianggong teach me about this?"

Suddenly, Zhao Pu replied calmly: "Your Highness, the minister has also noticed these situations. At present, it is very popular for the families of the nobles and local tyrants to hire people to work during the farming season. If your Majesty and His Royal Highness are worried about illegal things, the court can Promulgate a decree that also restricts the employment behavior and protects the interests of the employed people!"

Liu Yang looked slightly happy, and seemed to think that this was a good solution, but he quickly calmed down and pointed out: "Even so, I'm afraid it will be difficult to completely solve the problem of labor shortage!"

"Your Highness is smart! However, the population of the big man is still increasing. When the household registration is full, the only thing to worry about is that there will be more people in the land." Zhao Pu praised Liu Yang.

Meeting his gaze, Zhao Pu made another report, saying: "Before, Zhao Kuangyi, the magistrate of Jiaozhou, made a report that outside of Annan, there are many local people who are good at farming, and they may be arrested to enrich the interior as slaves. work."

(End of this chapter)