roccoschili Chapter 5413 Let People Laugh and Curse As They Please
Chapter 5413 Let People Laugh and Curse As They Please
Chapter 5413 Let People Laugh and Curse As They Please
The migration of people to vassal states certainly posed a threat to the Tang Dynasty, but compared to the continued exploitation of the common people by powerful families within the country, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
"Everything has its advantages and disadvantages; there is never anything that can be perfect."
Fang Jun took a sip of tea and patiently explained: "Since the Han Dynasty, aristocratic families have been rooted in China. The Han, Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties can be said to have been the domain of aristocratic families. They have long been integrated into the culture and heritage of China. How could they be completely eradicated in just a few decades of national establishment? The most fundamental foundation of aristocratic families lies in land."
He poured water into Li Chengqian's teacup and said, "Although the court is now forcibly measuring land and reforming the tax system, and the powerful families are suffering unprecedented blows, Your Majesty should know that it will not be long before they take back the land they have lost through various means."
Land annexation is the ultimate form of a dynasty, and it cannot be completely eradicated by simply "measuring fields" or "engaging in large-scale maritime trade." In fact, once the court relaxes its supervision, those powerful families will use the money earned from maritime trade to acquire land on a large scale.
"Emperors can be wise or foolish. As long as they are not as stubborn and reckless as Emperor Yang of Sui, they will not lose their country if they act recklessly. But if they cannot stop land annexation, which leads to the people having no land to cultivate and no houses to live in, then the country will not be far from its demise."
The Sui Dynasty had not been established for long, and land annexation had not yet reached its peak. The reason for its downfall was not so much related to its aggressive military campaigns, but rather to the damage it caused to the interests of powerful clans. Even the Guanzhong clans, which were the foundation of the dynasty, rebelled against Yang Guang.
When the interests of powerful clans and aristocratic families are harmed, the burden is immediately shifted onto the common people. As a result, refugees rise up everywhere and starving people are everywhere. How can the country not perish?
Li Chengqian still couldn't find a solution: "But with so much population loss, I'm afraid the land will be uncultivated in the future."
Fang Jun countered, "Now everyone has land to cultivate?"
Seeing that Li Chengqian remained silent, he continued, "In the fifty years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the population of Guanzhong has increased more than tenfold compared to the beginning of the dynasty. Now, the population of Chang'an alone exceeds one million, and the population of the entire Guanzhong region is no less than five million. Correspondingly, since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the climate in Guanzhong has been changeable, and wars have led to the neglect of water conservancy and serious soil erosion. Compared with the Han Dynasty, the land in Guanzhong is much more barren and cannot support such a large population."
Since the Qin and Han dynasties, the fertile land of the Guanzhong Plain has nourished generations of regimes and fed countless people. Today, however, deforestation has been devastating, soil erosion is severe, and over-exploitation has made the land increasingly barren and lacking in available nutrients. If it weren't for the Grand Canal transporting blood, millions of people in Guanzhong would be starving and forced to flee.
To ensure the sustainable development of Guanzhong and safeguard its status as the capital of the empire, in addition to providing financial support, it is necessary to reduce the population.
Li Chengqian nodded, he understood the reasoning, but sighed, "When Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, he was worried about the insufficient population every day, but who would have thought that in just a few years, the population would be too large."
Fang Jun drank his tea in silence.
The reason why the population was so small in the early Tang Dynasty was not only due to the sharp decline in population caused by war, but also because of the fact that the population was hidden. During the chaotic times, powerful families and clans frantically expanded their land and absorbed people. In order to avoid taxes, they hid these people and did not register them in the household register.
With the chaos just subsided and everything needing to be rebuilt, the government lacked the capacity to conduct an accurate population census at the county and township levels.
As the regime stabilized, the power of state institutions gradually increased. In addition, the land survey and tax reform led to the complete abolition of the "poll tax," and many Tibetan households were gradually released by aristocratic families. This was the biggest reason for the sudden increase in population.
*****
After leaving Taiji Palace, Fang Jun returned home and learned that his father was in the study, so he went there.
Inside the study, father and son sat facing each other. After listening to Fang Jun's detailed account of the day's events, Fang Xuanling sighed and said, "Perhaps I'm really getting old? I truly find it hard to understand the thoughts of you young people. From ancient times to the present, the fundamental principle of governance has been nothing more than 'stability,' and the most taboo thing is being ambitious, greedy for quick results, and reckless. But now you want to accomplish in three or even fifty years what would have taken thirty or even fifty years. Don't you really care about the backlash?"
Everything should be done step by step. Building a tall building before the foundation is solid is not the way to govern a country.
Fang Jun smiled and said, "Father, there is no need to worry about this. The current situation may seem turbulent, but it is actually very stable. Political affairs are handled by the State Council, and military affairs are handled by the Grand Council. After the policies are formulated, the three provinces and six ministries are responsible for their implementation. No one can cause any chaos."
Fang Xuanling shook his head: "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the strategy of using people from Guanzhong to fill the land in Hebei. This will lead to you being subjected to tremendous attacks and scorn. Originally, if we had just safely transported the disaster-stricken people of Hebei out in batches, the aristocratic families of Hebei would have naturally found a way to recruit refugees to cultivate the land. Why rush it? It would be a losing proposition."
He held deep hopes for his son, not only that his achievements would be outstanding for all time, but also that his reputation would be remembered for generations to come.
This strategy not only made the powerful families in Hebei hate him to the bone, but also made the people of Guanzhong curse him!
Perhaps five or ten years from now, the people of Guanzhong will be grateful to Fang Jun for giving them a better way to live, but in the present, who would be willing to leave their homes and go to Hebei? And how could those people who die on the way due to illness or accidents be grateful to Fang Jun?
Once a bad reputation is established, it is extremely difficult to clear one's name, and one may very well carry the stigma of "ruining one's family" for the rest of one's life...
Fang Jun said, "The achievements of a thousand years will be judged by future generations. We are just fulfilling our duties, why should we care about such things?"
Fang Xuanling also laughed and said with emotion, "My son is proficient in both literature and martial arts, and excels in both poetry and prose. He is praised by many people, but in my opinion, his broad mind is the most precious thing."
The son often says "national interests come first," and he also takes this as his guiding principle. Despite the praise and criticism he receives, he has never wavered or lost his way. He is truly an outstanding person.
Just then, Lady Lu came in and brought some pastries and dried fruits. Fang Jun then told His Majesty about asking for leave to go to sea.
Then he asked the two elders, "Do you want to go out to sea with me to see where my younger sister is? Although I have always said that the climate there is warm and the produce is plentiful, you are bound to have doubts since you have not seen it with your own eyes. This time, you can come with me to Chiang Kai-shek's country to see and visit, and you can put your minds at ease."
Madam Lu was somewhat tempted, but the thought of traveling back and forth at sea for months made her hesitant. The farthest she had ever traveled in her life was when she moved from her hometown of Qizhou to Chang'an...
After hesitating for a long time, he finally sighed and said, "I won't go. You take a few midwives and some good medicine with you and go to check on us for me. Also, tell her that if she gets the chance, she must come back to see us."
A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles, let alone when he marries tens of thousands of miles away.
But as the saying goes, meeting is easy, but parting is difficult. Rather than seeing each other only once and then parting with tears in your eyes and a heart full of anguish, it is better not to meet at all.
Fang Jun smiled and patted his mother's hand, comforting her, "Now the navy's ships are getting bigger and bigger, and navigation technology is becoming more and more advanced. The navy has begun to send fleets westward along the land to explore new continents. Once we master this route, there may be even more distant vassal states in the future."
Fang Xuanling asked curiously, "Is it the New World where we retrieved corn and potatoes back then?"
"That's right. But that time, the fleet crossed the ocean to reach the New World. The storms and luck played a big part. Even so, only one of the dozen or so large ships returned. If we could sail along the land, the damage from storms and hurricanes would be much less, and it would likely become a fixed route."
"Is the New World very big?"
“Very big.”
How does it compare to the Tang Dynasty?
Fang Jun thought for a moment and said, "It's at least as big as four Tang Dynasty buildings."
Lady Lu was shocked: "There are actually such large overseas territories?"
Fang Jun laughed and said, "The 'New Jin Kingdom' of the King of Jin is located in the far south. It is said to be an island, but it is not much smaller than the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, there is a place called 'Mishi' under the rule of the Byzantine Empire to the west of the Abbasid Caliphate. It is located at the northernmost point of a continent, and it stretches for thousands of miles to the south. It is also the size of three Tang Dynasties."
Lady Lu exclaimed in surprise, "How could the world be so vast? How come I didn't know before?"
"Since ancient times, China has been a land of plenty and prosperous people. The struggle for power and dominance within this small territory has become commonplace. Over time, people have had no energy left to explore the outside world. What I am doing now is to make all Chinese people open their eyes to the outside world, stop fighting amongst themselves, and if they have the ability, go out and expand their territory, and occupy all those wild lands."
Mrs. Lu said proudly, "My son is amazing!"
Fang Jun was very proud: "I am so smart because of my mother's bloodline. Any achievement I have made is inseparable from my mother's grace."
Fang Xuanling coughed lightly, unable to bear the mother and son praising each other, and reminded them, "Is the bloodline of my Qinghe Fang family inferior?"
Fang Jun smiled and said, "The Fang family of Qinghe is indeed a famous family in Shandong, but compared to the Lu family of Fanyang, it is still a bit inferior."
Madam Lu smiled and said, "Dalang is probably more like the Fang family of Qinghe; he's very old-fashioned and not as clever as Erlang."
Fang Xuanling said, "Let's not say such things in the future, lest it cause discord between brothers."
Madam Lu glared at him, but said nothing.
Although she was feisty, she was not unreasonable.
It is natural for people to compare themselves to others and feel jealous. Two brothers, one is both talented in literature and martial arts, and is extremely powerful and has made great contributions to the country, while the other is unsuccessful and mediocre, and can only wait to inherit his father's family business and title... How could he not feel a sense of disparity?
It's one thing for outsiders to gossip openly or secretly, but if even parents treat them differently and show favoritism, resentment will inevitably arise.
A harmonious family brings prosperity, while discord within the family is a sign of decline.
Fang Xuanling, who was diligently studying the so-called "political economy," was getting tired at this point. He urged people to hurry up and said, "Alright, since you're going to sea, go back and make preparations, and settle things at home properly."
"Here."
Fang Jun stood up, bowed, and took his leave.