Zhenguan Crown Prince Li Chengqian

Chapter 92 Competing for Grain and Drilling Wells (1)

Hanfeng Palace the next day

Fang Xuanling got up and said: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of War has sent people to check, and a lot of people have gathered in front of Tongguan, it is estimated that there are as many as 3 to [-] people."

Li Shimin pressed his hands to the crowd and signaled them to sit down.

Then he asked: "Are these people coming from those counties? Did they buy wells?"

"The three counties of Wugong, Jingyang and Xingping have a large number of people, and their drought is the most serious." After Fang Xuanling finished speaking, he presented the statistics of the Ministry of War to Li Shimin.

"Auxiliary machine, how many wells have been drilled in these three counties?" Li Shimin asked while looking at the documents.

Changsun Wuji: "Hey, so far, less than two hundred wells have been drilled in the three counties."

"What, I ordered the prefectures and counties in Guanzhong to dig wells more than a month ago, and they have done so much. Without water, can ordinary people not run away?"

After listening to Changsun Wuji's words, Li Shimin's face immediately fell, and he threw the document in his hand heavily on the imperial case.

"The Ministry of Zhongshu plans to recruit those three useless county magistrates. If they can't do it, I will replace them with people who can do things for the court."

"Your Majesty, the three of them cannot be blamed for this. The drought is getting worse and the price of food is skyrocketing.

You can see how much food can be exchanged for the well-drilling reward issued by the imperial court.

Ordinary people can't live with this little money, so how can they work hard to dig wells?The work of digging the well has stopped, and the documents from Hongwen Palace have just been delivered. "

What Zhangsun Wuji said made Li Shimin even more angry. The state official below is always so slow in everything he does.

This should be reported earlier, so that the court can adjust its strategy.

But now it's all right, the work of digging wells and repairing canals has stopped, and the court has stumbled.

"Your Majesty, there are more and more refugees in front of Tongguan. Before, they were in twos and threes.

But now one village, or even several villages have fled together.The imperial court should make a decision as soon as possible, otherwise there will be trouble. "

When Li Ke heard what Fang Xuanling said, his eyes lit up, and he immediately got up and said, "Father, the so-called villains are difficult to raise, just refer to the current refugees.

I ask my father to make an order, and my ministers are willing to lead troops to suppress these rioters.Kill a few leading troublemakers and they will disperse. "

Li Shimin frowned after hearing this, the head of the three boys was squeezed by the door, and natural disasters will come only if the emperor is not virtuous.

When Guanzhong encountered such a disaster, the ruler should first reflect on himself. Isn't sending troops to suppress those people now forcing them to rebel?
Doesn't this make me even more immoral to the people?In addition to the solar eclipse a few days ago, rumors have spread.

Seeing his father staring at him, Li Ke sat back in embarrassment.

At this moment, Du Ruhui, who had never expressed his opinion, spoke up.

"Your Majesty, in ancient times, Dayu used the method of both blockage and dredging to control the flood. Now the disaster victims are like floods. Your Majesty's decree to block Tongguan is to block it.

So what we have to do now is to be sparse. Money is cheap and rice is expensive, which is the norm in disaster years.

The minister thought that if the rewards could be replaced with rewards of grain, 35 dan grains for a well, then the common people would actively respond to the court's call and dig wells and repair canals to resist natural disasters with peace of mind. "

Du Ruhui's words immediately won the support of Changsun Wuji.

"Your Majesty, if this is the case, wells will be everywhere in Guanzhong, and the hearts of the people will be calmed down. At that time, the victims in front of Tongguan Pass will naturally disperse."

Just when Li Shimin was preparing to arrange the boards, Cen Wenwen said with a worried face: "I think this is very difficult to deal with. The officials from the Ministry of Households who went to the south to purchase grain have just set off. When they have raised a certain amount of grain, they don't know what to do." How long.

Besides, won't the army eat it?You know we still have a few hundred thousand people in the north. "

After Cen Wenwen finished speaking, everyone including the emperor fell into deep thought.

Li Chengqian took out a playbook from his sleeve and presented it to Li Shimin, who was holding it in both hands.

"Father, my son ordered the eldest grandson to go to Weinan's reserve warehouse to transfer the accounts there overnight. There are still 20 dans that can be used for disaster relief.

Master Cen is right, most of the food in the south is used for the army on the border.There is really no surplus food to relieve those victims.

Therefore, I asked my father and emperor to issue two imperial edicts.Drilling wells together, fighting for food together.All the gentry in Guanzhong will collect a certain amount of grain according to the real number of acres of land under their names.I don't know what my father thinks. "

Li Chengqian's words rang in everyone's ears like a thunderbolt, what the hell, they are fighting for their food.They are all hereditary servants, and according to their ancestors' yin merits, they are not allowed to receive taxes or serve.

Not to mention that there are many contacts with officials at all levels of the imperial court, and there are many people who are related to their Li family.

If they start a fight, it's no small matter, this prince is really courageous.

Just as Li Chengqian was speaking, Cen Wenwen and Li Ke looked at each other and lowered their heads.

Fang Xuanling is a kind person, when he heard what Li Chengqian said, he asked worriedly: "Your Highness, according to the law, they don't have to pay taxes and do hard labor, so if you ask them for food now, can they give it?
And there are many meritorious officials during the reign of Emperor Wude. "

The reason why Fang Xuanling said this was to remind Li Chengqian that your uncle and aunt are among these people.

Datang advocated filial piety as the foundation, and since Li Shimin ascended the throne, he has advocated it in order to make up for previous mistakes.

Now if you take them under your knife, what kind of situation will you be in?He didn't want Li Chengqian to be charged with violating filial piety because of such a thing.

But Li Chengqian didn't understand what Fang Xuanling meant, so he smiled at the old man and said: "The Prime Minister's scruples are justified, but in the whole world, is it the king's land, and the shore of the land, is it the king's minister.

They are courtiers to His Majesty first, and it is their duty to share the Lord's worries.Besides, what about donating some food, they usually hold the grace of His Majesty in one hand and the offerings of the people in the other.

If the common people make a fuss, will they be able to retreat unscathed?If one day the country declines because of them, they will still go up and do their best. "

Just as Li Chengqian was explaining to everyone, Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "Okay, don't discuss any more. Now is an extraordinary time, and we must adopt extraordinary measures.

Chengqian, since you proposed the strategy, I will entrust these two edicts to you.

You have the full authority to handle matters related to grain competition and well drilling in Guanzhong, and you are given the right to be cheap.I don't care about the process, only the result.do you understand? "

If you don't understand these words, then Li Chengqian is living in vain, and then he gave a salute to Li Shimin and replied: "Please rest assured, my son, I will do my best to make the people in Guanzhong feel the compassion of my father."

(End of this chapter)