Chapter 502 Extra Chapter: The First Noble Family of Dayu (Part Two)
When Shen Qingjun entered the court as an official, he kept a low profile at the beginning.
Although he stood at the forefront of the court officials with the title of the youngest Duke of Dingguo in Dayu.
But most of the time, he just listened to everyone talking.
At this time, the prime minister was still Shangguan, the maternal grandfather of both Emperor Xiao Wu.
Of course, this Prime Minister Shangguan was also forced into this position.
Because Emperor Xiao Wu approved the resignation of the then Prime Minister Xu without consulting his court officials.
A group of dragons cannot be without a leader.
The same applies to all officials.
If there is no leader among the officials, the arguments will only intensify.
Thus, at the emperor's grandson's request, Lord Shangguan had no choice but to temporarily assume the position of prime minister.
That morning, a dispute broke out in the imperial court over the issue of farmland being occupied in the north.
The two sides arguing were, in fact, civil officials and military generals.
Civil officials represented the old-school nobles.
Military generals, regardless of whether they are old-fashioned or not, always have to come out and cause trouble; otherwise, they have no presence when there are no battles to fight.
The two sides were arguing fiercely when Lord Shen Qingjun, who had been silent since the start of court, suddenly spoke up.
“The wasteland cannot simply be handed over to the garrison for management; otherwise, it will only be a temporary solution.”
Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then they all looked at Shen Qingjun.
This Lord Shen... although young, his title is quite high!
Furthermore, his father, the Duke of Dingguo, was a true military general!
Everyone genuinely considers Lord Shen Qingjun to be among the ranks of military generals.
Now... what does that mean?
Opposing handing over those farmlands to the garrison is nothing short of betraying the military commanders.
A garrison commander who had returned to Beijing to report on his duties immediately turned his attention to Shen Qingjun.
"Lord Shen is indeed in a high position and has no idea how hard the soldiers work."
We, who live on sand in our base, are not afraid of anything except the lack of timely food supplies.
"If we own land, wouldn't we be fearless?"
Everyone immediately became excited upon hearing this.
This must be the first time Lord Shen has ever argued with someone!
Oh dear, Lord Shen is usually so quiet, he definitely won't argue.
I wonder if Prime Minister Shangguan will speak up for Lord Shen later!
This is, after all, his grandson! If he loses the first argument, it would be a disgrace to the Shangguan family's generations of officials who speak out against injustice.
However, if Prime Minister Shangguan were to speak, wouldn't that simply mean Lord Shen had lost...?
Even Emperor Xiaowu sat up straight.
My cousin is arguing with someone for the first time, so I have to keep an eye on things.
Even if my cousin is wrong, I must rule in his favor; I can't let him lose face...
To everyone's surprise, Shen Qingjun was not surprised that someone would refute his words.
On the contrary, he was very happy.
He was in charge of the farmland issues.
The fact that some people object means there's a problem here, which is a good thing. As long as the problem is solved, everything will be fine.
Therefore, Shen Qingjun immediately looked at that general.
"General, are you worried about the garrison's food supplies?" Shen Qingjun asked.
The general was taken aback, then quickly raised his voice and said, "Isn't that right? How can those who are in the court every day understand the hardships of our garrison troops!"
Shen Qingjun nodded.
"The general is right. We officials in the court cannot truly understand the hardships of the garrison troops."
However, by the same token, when the general is stationed in the field, he cannot understand the suffering of the court officials and His Majesty.
The issue of provisions for the army is something that His Majesty and the officials will keep in mind.
But often, His Majesty has many more issues to consider.
The amount of grain harvested each year is fixed, as provisions must be reserved for the army.
We must also prepare for the people's unexpected needs.
His Majesty and his ministers were also in a dilemma.
"Now that we've finally managed to reclaim those wastelands, we definitely need to make a good plan so that everyone can benefit," Shen Qingjun said.
The general pursed his lips and remained silent.
That sounds nice!
The land was taken back, but it simply transferred from the hands of the declining nobles to the hands of the newly rising nobles.
They have troops stationed there...
"General, if you are the commander of the garrison, your soldiers will be able to eat their fill."
"When you see those refugees who can't afford to eat, do you feel any better?" Shen Qingjun continued to ask.
The general opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.
They are all people of Da Yu, and aren't these people protecting the people of Da Yu?
"Therefore, the general could not bear to see the refugees starving."
"What if there were a way to ensure both the garrison's food supply and the people's ability to eat? Would you like to hear about it, General?" Shen Qingjun continued.
Upon hearing this, the general immediately nodded.
"Please speak, Lord Shen."
"Those wastelands still belong to the garrison, but not entirely to the garrison. After all, the garrison's mission is to train and prepare for future major battles."
Farming is the farmers' business.
The land was given to the refugees to cultivate, and after the harvest, they received a portion as payment.
The rest belongs to your garrison.
Doesn't this ensure the supply of provisions for the garrison, allowing the soldiers to focus on defending their country?
This way, those displaced people can have work and food.
Isn't this a win-win situation for everyone?
Oh, of course, the imperial court would send special agricultural officials to coordinate these matters.
"General, what do you think of this method?" Shen Qingjun looked at the general earnestly.
The general thought it made a lot of sense.
They've acquired those lands, but someone still needs to farm them!
If we don't plant anything, won't that just turn the land into wasteland?
Therefore, Lord Shen's suggestion seems to make a lot of sense.
"What Lord Shen said makes a lot of sense," the general said slowly.
Shen Qingjun smiled and immediately bowed to Emperor Xiao Wu.
"Your Majesty, as you can see, the General and I have already discussed this issue and there are no disagreements left."
Could we try this method?
The ministers were already stunned...
This young Duke of Dingguo...impressive!
He explained the problem clearly in just a few words, leaving no room for criticism!
Prime Minister Shangguan was also grinning from ear to ear.
He's a promising young man; it's only a matter of time before he resigns from his position as prime minister...
Emperor Xiao Wu stared in astonishment at everything before him.
That's... all?
No need for self-determination anymore?
He even wanted to take sides!
My cousin is really something, keeping his true abilities hidden. I'm unlikely to have many more opportunities to watch the ministers argue in the future...
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