Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 29
It was Pei Long who first turned the topic to administrative secrets.

The Confucian scholar who claimed to be from the Pei family in Hedong first let out a long sigh, and then said with some enthusiasm: "It has been more than thirty years since the founding of our dynasty. His Majesty Taizong knows people well and appoints them well. He obeys his advice very well, organizes the administration of officials, and pays little tax." Jian, the Tang Dynasty conquered all barbarians and made the world surrender, and he was respected as the Khan of Heaven in all directions."

"I'm not afraid of Brother Chen's jokes. I have always thought that under the rule of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, people's livelihood was stable and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment."

"The new emperor is also benevolent and filial. He has been on the throne for six years and has governed the country diligently. He has followed the rules and regulations and has never slacked off. This world should be governed by great governance. I really don't know that such a scene would appear in Jiangnan. What went wrong?"

Chen Qingsi hesitated for a moment, sorted out his thoughts and said: "There is no other reason, but the low price of food hurts the farmers. His Majesty Emperor Taizong's expeditions in all directions cost a lot of money. And in the south of the Yangtze River, the climate is suitable, the water is abundant, and the food is abundant. The imperial court encourages people all over the world to grow grain, especially in the south of the Yangtze River. The grain grown by the common people does not have to worry about sales. Even if it cannot be sold, the imperial court will take care of it."

"So much so that all the prefectures, counties, and villages in Jiangnan states, with the support of the government, open up fields to grow food, and even neglect other industries. As soon as there is more food, food prices will fall. When food prices fall, people's harvests will decrease, and their lives will be difficult to live by. hardship."

“What should I do if my life becomes unsustainable?”

"Continue to farm, exchanging hard work for quantity to make a living. In this way, we are trapped in a cycle. The poorer we are, the more we plant, and the more we plant, the poorer we are. When manpower is finally exhausted, and at the extreme, we can only resign ourselves to fate."

"Therefore, when natural disasters come, the people have nothing; when the weather is good and the food is harvested, they can only get enough food and clothing, without the joy of a good harvest."

"Let me tell you about a real experience that happened to me. When I was young, my parents passed away. There are three acres of Susukaku farmland at home. My parents worked hard for half their lives and left me a small inheritance. It is because of the good harvest year that only It was enough to keep food on the table, but in bad harvest years, it was unsustainable. I simply rented it out to neighbors, charged some rent based on the harvest that year, and found another job myself, so that I could make ends meet."

Pei Long was born in the Pei family of Hedong Province. He was well-dressed and well-fed since he was a child. At an early age, he was recommended to study at the Provincial Hongwen Hall. He had never had such an experience, and he couldn't help but sigh: "That's why Brother Chen has no idle land in the world, and the farmers are still hungry." The emotion of death.”

He paused and said, "Brother Chen, you have such a thorough understanding of the situation in Jiangnan, but you don't know how to solve it?"

Chen Qingsi was startled for a moment, then shook his head and smiled: "Brother Pei is too arrogant. How can I say anything thoroughly? It's just that I have been in Jiangnan for a long time and I know more than ordinary people. As for the solution? There really needs to be a solution. Fa, why can I only write poems and express emotions?"

His answer was crisp and too direct.

Pei Long didn't feel any regret but changed the subject knowingly: "This trip to the south of the Yangtze River, does Brother Chen have anything to recommend?"

Chen Qingsi said without hesitation: "If you want to travel, Suzhou and Hangzhou are the best places. It's best not to go south. Not long after the turmoil has been settled, it's full of devastation, so it's not a place to visit. What's more, the remnants of the demons from the Fire Phoenix Society are still there, and there are certain dangers."

When he said this, he paused and continued: "We also have places to visit in Yixing County. Not far away is Yangxian Mountain. There are tea mountains in the mountains. The green mountains are beautiful and the tea gardens are vast. Walking among them, the fresh and elegant fragrance of tea lingers. From the tip of the nose, you can see the beauty of Taihu Lake from a high place. It is the time when the lotus flowers are in full bloom, and it will be a wonderful experience to go boating in Taihu Lake. If you two are interested, I can be your guide and lead you to experience the beauty of Yixing."

In fact, he has never been there himself, he only heard about it.

Pei Long showed an expression of interest, but also had a look of regret, saying: "It's a pity that I have important things to do and I can't travel with Chen. Unfortunately, the time is too short and I can't have the full fun today. Let's say goodbye first. If we have the chance, we will see you again. Let’s drink and talk freely.”

Chen Qingsi also regretted and said: "That's it, that's it. When you two come to Yixing County again, you must inform me and show your kindness to the landlord."

He stood up in person to see her off, not wanting to say goodbye yet.

Watching the two people leaving, Chen Qingsi returned to the house with a slight smile: he was not sure whether Pei Long was an envoy from the imperial court, but he was sure that the other party was not telling the truth.Pei Long said that Lou Zong was a friend who traveled with him, but Lou Zong was reserved in his speech, and his attitude toward Pei Long was not that of a close friend who could travel far away together, but rather a bit reserved.

Moreover, Lou Zong speaks with a Yangzhou dialect accent, which is slightly inconsistent with the introduction.

The Confucian scholar who called himself Pei Long and Lou Shide, whose pseudonym was Lou Zong, returned to the inn.

Pei Long recalled every detail of the meeting and asked, "What do you think of this person?"

Lou Shide said: "He is quick-thinking and eloquent, and he is very good at getting along with others. It is only a short meeting, but it makes people feel comfortable and have a good impression."

Pei Long continued to ask: "Do you think he really doesn't know the solution, or is he pretending not to know?"

Lou Shide thought about it carefully and said: "It shouldn't be that he doesn't know anything at all. Based on the knowledge and conversation he showed, I really can't do anything at all. I don't believe it. It's just how much he knows, whether he is smart or not, and whether he can solve the urgent need. , then we don’t know.”

Pei Long said: "I don't believe this either. Have you noticed that this person always stops at the point he speaks and doesn't reveal everything? It's worth taking a high look."

The most taboo thing for people like them is to communicate with each other in a shallow and deep way. They reveal their trump cards when they first meet without being defensive. No matter how smart this kind of person is, they are not worth a second glance.

Lack of city government is a taboo and nothing can be done.

Pei Long recalled what he had seen when he went south. Captain Zhu Wei was beaten in the street, and Li Jin lost his official seal. Relying on his father's power, he only focused on communication and did not think about governance. At the critical moment, he actually drove away beggars and homeless people.Other officials are also ignorant, thinking only about increasing food production and ignoring people's livelihood.Only Chen Qingsi felt something different here and said: "Unless we reveal our identities, Brother Chen will not have a heart-to-heart conversation."

Lou Shide said: "Then do we need it?"

"Forget it!" Pei Long said: "Our identities still need to be kept secret. Only in this way can we see the most real things. After completing His Majesty's mission, we will reveal our identities and talk with him in detail. When it comes to this, someone can say that Zong Ren and Liang That’s it.”

Lou Shide immediately bowed and listened.

Pei Long said: "You are too reserved today. How can you feel like you are playing with close friends?"

Lou Shide, a prime minister who had always been a self-indulgent person in history, was too calm and hurriedly confessed.

Pei Long helplessly held his forehead, but he still admired Lou Shide's generous and calm character, and said: "That's all, just be careful in the future. Except for Li Jin, no one will know your identity and some flaws." , it doesn’t hurt.”

"After many days in the south of the Yangtze River, we finally made some gains. Tomorrow we will set off for Wuxi, around Taihu Lake, and down to Suzhou and Hangzhou."

　It’s a new week, please support me brothers and vote if you have a vote!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)