The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 106 Courage
Li Ying looked at Yang Yuhuan's stunning beauty and charming appearance, feeling a little dazed.

For a woman in a feudal society, no matter what the reason, being infertile for three years would result in some criticism.

But in fact, Yang Yuhuan was now in the prime of her youth.

Li Ying put his hand on Yang Yuhuan's forehead and said, "If you really ask, it's strange."

Yang Yuhuan felt a little disappointed when she heard this, and said quietly, "That's right, it would be unreasonable not to blame."

Li Heng said, "I blame you for having these questions in your mind. Why didn't you say anything before? Having a child is not just your business. Why do you have to keep it to yourself?"

"Your Highness..." Yang Yuhuan didn't expect that Li Heng was referring to this. Facing Li Heng's questioning, she felt a little happy and said, "Your Highness knows that I was wrong."

Li Ying said, "We agreed that husband and wife should be of one mind and go and return together, so we should tell each other whatever we think."

"Yeah." Yang Yuhuan nodded heavily, then laughed again and said, "I have an idea now."

"What idea?" Li Heng asked seriously.

Yang Yuhuan rubbed Li Heng's face through her veil and said, "Isn't it a bit exotic?"

Li Ying smiled and said, "It's a little hazy, like seeing flowers in the fog."

Hearing this, Yang Yuhuan smiled even more happily and said, "It's good that it's not the flower in the mirror. You can't touch the flower in the mirror, but you can touch the flower in the fog."

Li Ying said: "I advise you not to cherish your golden dress, but to cherish your youth. Pick the flowers when they are in bloom, don't wait until there are no more flowers to pluck."

"Then please break it immediately, my dear." Yang Yuhuan looked at Li Ying with her watery eyes.

The two gradually got closer.

……

……

……

The sunshine in Qiuci brought a gentle warmth, which refreshed Li Heng's spirit.

After breakfast, Li Heng summoned Gao Xianzhi and others to discuss matters.

Li Ying first commended Gao Xianzhi and his colleagues for their achievements in farming over the past six months, and then asked everyone to summarize the problems and put forward suggestions.

Gao Xianzhi stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, based on the experience of farming in recent years, I have compiled the number and number of people that should be farmed in each military garrison, guard post, and beacon garrison."

As he spoke, he presented a memorial to Li Heng.

Li Heng took it, looked at it carefully, and gradually frowned.

However, Li Heng frowned not because this proposal was not good, but because this proposal was very good. However, this proposal was made based on the actual situation in Anxi, which was inconsistent with the requirements of the court.

The Anxi military farming program began in the reign of Emperor Li Shimin, and it has been nearly a hundred years now. The imperial court has always attached great importance to the Anxi military farming program.

But despite the importance they attached to it, most people in the court did not understand the actual situation in Anxi, and they tried to force the experience of other places onto Anxi.

For example, the newly revised "Six Codes of Tang Dynasty" stipulates that each beacon garrison should have five to seven people and the area of ​​military farm should be no less than eight acres. Failure to do so would result in punishment.

This is a typical one-size-fits-all approach.

Anxi has a vast and complex terrain. Some of the dangerous and remote beacon garrisons are more important for border defense and sentry than for farming. These beacon garrisons have only two to four personnel and the farming area is only two or three acres, which is far from meeting the requirements of the court. However, the court would not care about these things and could not hold them accountable. The pressure was passed down from one level to another, and finally all the pressure fell on the farming soldiers.

The soldiers couldn't stand the pressure and had to flee.

After reading the organization, Li Heng looked at Gao Xianzhi and the others.

This is an ordinary decision, but it will affect Gao Xianzhi and others' future behavior.

The Anxi generals in the past were not unaware of the specific situation in Anxi, nor were they incapable of making such suggestions. The key was whether the leader could withstand the pressure from the court and dare to report the truth.

If Li Heng chose to be as smooth-talking as the previous Jiedushi, or would rather do nothing than make mistakes, then Gao Xianzhi and others would follow suit.

Li Heng was silent for a while, then said, "Let's implement this proposal, and I will report it to the court."

If Li Heng wants to develop in Anxi, he must be realistic and withstand the pressure.

Gao Xianzhi was afraid that Li Heng was just impulsive and didn't know the ins and outs of it, so he said, "Your Highness, the former Jiedushi and Grand Protector General either chose to build only beacons that could meet the court's requirements, or they coerced the soldiers, or concealed the truth, and chose to make the Anxi soldiers and civilians suffer in order to save face."

"I know." Li Heng nodded, "Let's do as you suggest. If there is anything, I will take care of it."

When Gao Xianzhi and others saw that Li Heng was so courageous, their expressions brightened up and they began to speak freely.

Wang Zhihuan stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, the plow you guided to improve before does save effort and time, but now it is only promoted in the military. I think it can be promoted to Anxi, or even other places."

"Okay." Li Heng nodded, "But it cannot be enforced, and you cannot use the name of the Anxi Protectorate to unite merchants, set high prices, and force sales."

Many policies are well-intentioned at the top, but when it comes to the lower levels, they turn into collusion between officials and businessmen to seek personal gain.

Wang Zhihuan said, "I understand. I will set a price and report it to Your Highness. But this plow has not been named yet. Please give it a name to facilitate its promotion."

"Let's call it Quyuanli." Li Ying said.

Wang Zhihuan said: "The curved plow conveys both its meaning and shape. It's a good name."

Li Heng just smiled at the flattery, and then said: "The farming tools and farming methods in Anxi are not as good as those in the plains. Can General Wang write a book to guide Anxi's farming?"

"I am willing to take on this mission." Wang Zhihuan immediately agreed.

"Okay." Li Heng nodded with satisfaction. "General Wang can report to me the manpower and fees you need."

"Yes." Wang Zhihuan bowed and accepted the order. After hesitating for a moment, he continued, "Your Highness, should we report to the court the grains needed to expand the military farms?"

Although Anxi had been cultivating military farms for a long time, it was just the golden period of development. The crops produced by the military farms were not enough to provide military rations, let alone reserve seeds. Therefore, basically, the seeds for grain were requested from the imperial court every year.

Although Li Heng wanted to grow some cash crops, he knew he couldn't rush into it, so he nodded and said, "Of course, General Wang, please draft an item and I will report it to the court. Remember to adapt to local conditions."

The crops grown in the Anxi military farms mainly include millet, sorghum, wheat, beans, peas, etc., and the fruits include grapes, pomegranates, pears, peaches, and apricots.

It sounds like a lot of varieties, but there is one thing missing: rice.

Although there are people in Kucha who grow rice, rice is not their staple food. For Li Heng, who likes to eat rice, growing rice is very necessary, regardless of its high yield.

So Li Heng thought about it and added: "We can also ask for some rice seeds."

Wang Zhihuan was not familiar with growing rice in Anxi, so he asked, "Your Highness, what kind of rice seeds would be suitable?"

(End of this chapter)