"One out of every three able-bodied men is conscripted, two out of every five are conscripted, taxes are exorbitant, and grain is levied everywhere."
"You say the people can't even survive, what use is land?"
"At this point, in order to collect grain and pay taxes, the people will sell their land back to the gentry at a low price. Then, in order to survive, they will give the land to the gentry to farm. Wouldn't the hard-won implementation of the equal land system become a mere formality? If this cycle continues, the people will be weak and poor, and how can the country prosper?"
"War is a battle of national strength and the strength of the people. If the fighting on the front lines remains deadlocked and drags on for years, the people will reach their limit and uprisings will break out in various places. If this continues, how can the country not perish?"
"This..." Wang De was speechless again after being choked by Sun Jian's words.
Sun Jian ignored him and continued to say to the old man, "Furthermore, while the Fubing system is good, it is not suitable for the times. Human nature is selfish and desires are endless. In the current situation, with disasters everywhere and refugees rising up everywhere, wouldn't it be giving those high-ranking officials and nobles too much power by allowing them to each have their own troops and arm themselves?"
"Think about it, once they become officials and have soldiers, who wouldn't want to share the profits? On the surface, the Fubing system seems to have greatly strengthened the military and national power. Once the war becomes intense, each county will have the power to resist. On the contrary, precisely because of this, the Fubing system has also intensified the factional struggles in the court. The various forces will fight each other more fiercely for their own interests, and the struggle will become more and more intense."
“But we’re going to do something big…” Li You wanted to speak, but when the words reached his lips, he didn’t know how to refute them.
Sun Jian rolled his eyes at him: "Shut up!"
"Are you trying to say that everyone should work together, that the government's policies reflect the will of the people?"
"I'm telling you, that's bullshit!"
"Every man for himself, and the world will destroy him. Human nature is greedy, so never test it. There may be no shortage of loyal people in the great cause, but there is also no shortage of selfish ones."
Upon hearing Sun Jian's words, everyone's faces turned pale and then purple.
Only the old man remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged.
"We are beset by powerful enemies, intensified factional strife, bandits and outlaws causing trouble in the distance, exploitation by high-ranking officials and nobles nearby, constant natural disasters, and attacks by foreign tribes."
"If things continue like this, how can Daqian not perish?"
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.
Apart from Sun Jian, who was still eating and drinking by himself, everyone else was stunned as if struck by lightning.
Upon closer examination, it is indeed as Sun Jian said.
Every sentence is reasonable and can withstand scrutiny.
These remarks, these insights!
There are probably very few people in the world who could say that.
Perhaps the court is not lacking in talented people, but without exception, even those who can sense the situation have no solution.
The old man sighed softly; as for him, he was well aware of the drawbacks of these policies.
This is also a headache for him.
However, if these decrees are not implemented, the situation may be even worse.
It seems that Governor Yao has truly discovered a great talent for him this time.
His talent and intelligence are at least on par with those of the most trusted ministers in the Imperial Study.
It's just that Sun Jian, who, like many of his trusted ministers, was able to identify the predicament, was also able to resolve it.
"but……"
Sun Jian picked up a piece of food and continued, "However, the fall of a country will not be so quick. After all, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Our Emperor Qianwu is wise and powerful, skilled in both literature and martial arts. I expect that as long as he is still alive, he will not cause too much turmoil, since all the policies governing the country are aimed at strengthening his central authority."
"Moreover, the current generation of veteran ministers all follow Emperor Ganwu's lead, so the only one who can bring about the downfall of the country is a future emperor."
"You! You! You!"
The repeated use of the phrase "the country is doomed" made Li You tremble with anger.
But he couldn't refute anything.
The old man glared at Li You, then turned to Sun Jian and laughed heartily, "Young friend, since you are so aware of the shortcomings of our dynasty, do you have a solution?"
"No."
Sun Jian shrugged helplessly.
My remarks were entirely based on what I heard from the "Kangaroo in a Yellow Vest Holding a Box" program after I uninstalled it in my previous life and frequently watched lectures on various topics.
Break free from this predicament? I can't be bothered to think about those things.
Let's just have a discussion, why do we have the time to think so much?
Too much talk leads to mistakes!
Governing a country is not a simple matter. It requires considering the times, the current situation, and the right timing, location, and people. All three are indispensable. Otherwise, you might end up not only failing to save the country but also causing trouble for yourself.
As the saying goes, one should only do one's job in politics; who cares whoever it is, what does it have to do with me?
The country is still a long way from being destroyed.
Why worry about those things?
"Really not?" the old man asked repeatedly.
Sun Jian said helplessly, "To be honest, I really didn't. I haven't thought about those things in detail. I don't even have a place to get food next month. How could I have time for that?"
"Oh, so you didn't think about it carefully, young friend?"
The old man gave a meaningful look.
Seeing that his repeated inquiries had yielded no results, the old man stopped dwelling on it.
After all, this is no small matter; it cannot be resolved with just a few words.
In his view, Sun Jian shouldn't be praised too highly just because he analyzed the problem.
It's all in vain if the current situation can't be resolved.
However, it cannot be denied that Sun Jian was a man of great talent.
"Hehe, young friend, have you informed Governor Yao of your remarks today?" the old man asked tentatively.
As he said this, a flash of malice crossed his eyes, but it vanished in an instant.
If Governor Yao had heard about these things before but concealed them from the public… then… then that would be…
"No."
Sun Jian shook his head.
"So, what are your plans next, young friend?"
The old man changed his question and continued.
"I don't have any plans. I'll just go home and continue farming. I'll stockpile the grain first," Sun Jian said, shrugging.
"food?"
"Is it... a potato?" The old man frowned, remembering the term.
"Holy crap! Lord Yao even told you this!"
Sun Jian was speechless for a moment.
Why does Governor Yao always speak so carelessly?
If you just tell people about this, I'm not afraid of bandits, but what if a group of refugees come and try to steal it?
Are they going to be killed as bandits too?
Moreover, being targeted by some officials with ulterior motives would be quite a problem!
Sun Jian knew these things would eventually spread, but they couldn't be spread so quickly! Before everything was fully developed, he had to "play it safe"—that was the way to win!
"What else did he tell you?" Sun Jian asked.
The old man pretended to be unaware and still tentatively asked, "They didn't say anything else."
How is your potato production? Is it suitable for large-scale planting?
Sun Jian remained silent, unsure how to respond.
After all, the person in front of us might have a higher official rank than Lord Yao.
If I don't tell you, I won't be able to fool you anymore!
Sun Jian was somewhat worried about what he had said, wondering if it would cause him endless trouble if he were to say these words.
Will the other party ask me to teach them the techniques on the spot?
Will they forcibly detain me?
Or should we take him to the capital immediately?
Sun Jian wasn't being overly pessimistic; these situations are highly likely to occur!
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