Li Zhi, don't be a coward

Chapter 728 Sarcasm
Although Li Zhi is the emperor, in this pure farming society, he still has some common sense of agriculture after all.

During the spring sowing season, the fields were empty. Li Zhi finally discovered the problem, and his face suddenly became ugly.

How important the issue of food is, no matter the emperor, the dignitaries or ordinary people, they pay more attention to farming than their own lives.

In such an important spring sowing season, there are no crops planted in the field.

"What's the matter? What about the crops? No matter who owns the land, if you don't plant crops in spring, are you waiting to starve to death?" Li Zhi was a little angry.

Li Qinzai comforted him with gentle words: "Your Majesty, don't worry, there must be some misunderstanding..."

After a pause, Li Qinzai said again: "I see that there are a lot of fields in this village. It's nothing to waste a few pieces of land. The Tang Dynasty is so big, so what can we do if we don't collect more food? People won't die of starvation."

Li Zhi was taken aback, and quickly glanced at Li Qinzai, obviously surprised by Li Qinzai's words.

"The Tang Dynasty is so big, but not one mu of land is superfluous. As long as it is a field, it must be planted when the crops should be planted. There is no reason to let the fields go barren!" Li Zhi said in a dissatisfied tone.

Li Qinzai hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, calm down. Today, the monarch and his ministers are enjoying hunting. Why spoil your Majesty's elegance for such a trivial matter? Why don't we continue to rush to that mountain forest and let the guards surround the forest and hunt."

Li Zhi glanced at him again.

For some reason, Li Zhi always felt that what Li Qinzai said today was a bit harsh. If Li Qinzai in the past was capable and compassionate, then today's Li Qinzai is completely like a prodigal son who doesn't know suffering and ignores the people.

Li Zhi didn't understand why Li Qinzai's temperament changed so much today, but he is the emperor, so of course he couldn't turn a blind eye to the delay of spring sowing in the farmland like Li Qinzai.

"No, come here, pass on the landlord and the head of the village, I must ask clearly." Li Zhi said with an ugly face.

The accompanying palace servants hurried towards the village.

Li Zhi's face sank like water, staring at the barren farmland in silence.

Li Qinzai said, "Your Majesty, it's getting late, if the meeting is delayed..."

Li Zhi finally couldn't bear it anymore: "Jingchu, what's wrong with you today? What's more important in the world than delaying the spring sowing? It's a big deal. Today I must find out the reason for the delay in spring sowing, and also know whether the delay in spring sowing is just This example can still be seen everywhere.”

"It's hard to hope that the weather will be good this year. If the landlords and farmers leave their farmland for no reason, then they really deserve to die!"

Li Qinzai smiled, and stepped aside silently.

After a long time, an old man in his sixties came in a hurry. Xu was told by the palace servants about Li Zhi's identity. The old man came to Li Zhi, shook his head and bowed, saying that he was the son of heaven, and introduced himself as the son of the village. Li long.

Li Zhi ordered the old man to get up, pointed at the farmland and asked with a serious face: "The spring sowing season is coming, what's going on with this farmland? Why haven't you planted any crops? The good fields are not plowed, so why don't you wait for the imperial court to help you after autumn? "

The old man was trembling with fright, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, it's not that grassroots people don't grow crops. It's really that the village is empty now, and the young and strong have been expropriated. There are only a few old people, women and children left in the village. There is really nothing you can do. .”

Li Zhi was taken aback: "Now is the Taiping period, and the Tang Dynasty did not launch a war. Why are all the young and strong recruited?"

There was a look of astonishment in the eyes of the old man, and then he quickly lowered his head and said in a trembling voice: "I heard from the official that your Majesty plans to enshrine Zen on Mount Tai next year. From Chang'an to Mount Tai, roads will be built along the way, a palace will be built, and young people from various villages in Guanzhong Almost all the strong people have been recruited, so there is no one to cultivate the farmland everywhere."

Li Zhi was stunned, and then he remembered that the recruiting of young and strong men was his order to Shang Shuxing, and Shang Shuxing then passed the order to the government offices of various prefectures and counties.

Li Zhi's complexion became more and more ugly, and after a long pause, he said with some embarrassment: "My order is to recruit young men after the spring sowing, first grab the farming season, and then build the palace, how do the local government offices do things?"

The old man lowered his head and said, "I don't blame the county government. I heard that the higher-ups are pressing hard. When it is time to rush to work, Chang'an City has officials coming to ask for people from the county magistrate almost every day. The county magistrate has no choice but to recruit young men in a hurry."

"The above said that the recruiting of young adults this time, each household can be worth three years of corvee, so we told the young adults that the spring sowing at home can be entrusted to the elderly, women and children in the village..."

The old man sighed, and said: "After all, the old and the young are not as good as the young and strong laborers. The whole village, the old and the weak, women and children tried their best, but still lost a lot of fields. As the head of the village, the grass-roots people are really ashamed. Young people in the village..."

Li Zhi took a deep breath, his face flushed immediately, he wanted to get angry, but he didn't know who to send it to.

Li Qinzai hastily comforted him: "Your Majesty, calm down, don't be too angry. It's just a few acres less land, it doesn't matter."

Li Zhi said angrily: "Is it just a few mu of land? According to the head of the village, the spring sowing farmland in the entire Guanzhong is probably worth hundreds of thousands of mu. How will the treasury be supported and how will the people live when the autumn harvest arrives? "

Li Qinzai blinked puzzledly: "Uh, what is Your Majesty angry about? Is it because of Qi Zheng to make you young and strong, or is it because of Qi Guan that the spring sowing was delayed?"

Li Zhi froze, opened his mouth, and found himself speechless.

The instigator of everything is him, the emperor.

Li Qinzai laughed, and said: "Your Majesty, there is no need to be angry about such a trivial matter. Anyway, the spring sowing of the farmland has been delayed, and it will not be able to make up for it. Why don't we forget about it, and let's go hunting to our heart's content, and how about returning home having fun?"

Li Zhi said angrily: "Jingchu, what's the matter with you today? You have always cared about the common people, why do you keep making such cold-blooded remarks today? Do you still have the mood to hunt for such a big matter?"

Li Qinzai said in a low voice: "I wonder if Your Majesty has heard of the saying 'natural selection'?"

Li Zhi was taken aback: "What is 'Natural Selection'?"

Li Qinzai said slowly: "Natural selection, survival of the fittest. It doesn't matter whether it's human, poultry, or wild beasts."

"Born between heaven and earth is a cruel competition for survival. Whoever has great ability will have a chance to survive and live a good life. If someone is born weak, of course he can't compete with those with great ability. He will be eliminated by nature and die naturally, isn't it? Is it normal?"

"The same is true for people. If the grain harvest in Guanzhong is not enough this year, it depends on who has the means to survive the lack of food. Those who survive the difficulties are often extraordinary people. In other words, they are winners. It is a person of value.”

Li Zhi stared at him dumbfounded, and said in shock: "Jingchu, why did you say such cruel words? Are you... Possessed by a ghost?"

Li Qinzai's smile gradually subsided, he looked straight into Li Zhi's eyes, and said slowly, "Your Majesty, isn't this exactly what you are doing now?"

"Building roads, building a palace, recruiting hundreds of thousands of youths in Guanzhong, what your Majesty wants is a wide and smooth road, a magnificent palace, and a Taishan altar paved with silk and silk."

"Spring sowing, farmland, harvest, all go to hell! As long as you can consecrate Zen and Mount Tai, don't worry about the floods among the people! Your Majesty, the officials below are doing things according to your will, and they are doing it perfectly. What is your majesty angry about? "

(End of this chapter)