30 Land Law
She brought him to this little shop.
Inside the Xuan Shi Hall, Emperor Chu Pei was overjoyed. "This time, Xiu Yuan inspected the disaster situation in the south on my behalf and also wiped out the remnants of the Great Yan. Excellent, excellent! Hahaha."
Chu Pei looked with satisfaction at the tall, handsome ministers below. Who doesn't love to look at beautiful women? Even if the ministers are good-looking, it makes the tedious work of government affairs more enjoyable.
Sima Hong stood before the hall, bowing slightly, his posture graceful and neither humble nor arrogant, like a sturdy bamboo. "Your Majesty," he said, "now that the world is at peace, to truly win back the hearts of the people, I believe we need two things: land and food. Once the displaced people have land, they will no longer think of rebellion, and those who still cherish their homeland will not cause trouble after receiving the land allocated by Your Majesty. Secondly, due to years of war, there has been famine. In the short term, we should open granaries to provide relief to the most severely affected areas, and in the long term, we must solve the problem of food cultivation."
The Chu emperor pondered, precisely because the matter of land was of paramount importance. Whether the Chu family could secure its rule depended heavily on the land and its people. That was why he had Sima Hong inspect the southern regions, which were beyond his reach.
"Of course I know that as long as the famine is not resolved, the Great Jin will not be stable. Even the Xiongnu dared to come and ask for my daughter's hand in marriage while we are starving!"
Thinking of this, Chu Pei's triangular eyes flashed with a fierce light. He had conquered the world and experienced countless battles. He was a famous general of the previous dynasty and had even fought against the Prince of Yan. The murderous aura he had acquired on the battlefield could not be concealed at this moment.
Sima Hong remained unhurried. He had already devised a plan for this trip. "Therefore, the methods for land surveying and allocation should not be delayed."
Even before leaving the capital, he had already submitted the land law to the emperor, but due to numerous obstacles in the court, no conclusion was reached.
After all, this land law will affect the interests of many powerful and influential people.
The emperor was still hesitant at the time, but now he has submitted the results of his inspection. The disaster and the situation of the displaced people are far more serious than he had imagined. If the famine problem is not solved, the country of the Great Jin Dynasty may not be stable.
"My dear ministers, look at this for yourselves. The people are starving. Do we have to wait until the Great Jin Dynasty is like the previous dynasty, where the people can't afford to eat and rise up against us, and the Great Jin Dynasty follows in the footsteps of the previous dynasty, before you realize how urgent the situation is now!"
Your Highness, everyone bowed their heads in silence. Then Sima Hong said, "During this inspection tour, I had an unexpected gain. I brought with me a skilled farmer whose millet yields 20% higher than ordinary millet. His village, Lijia Village, is the only place among the counties I inspected that has achieved a high grain yield. If we want to solve the famine, the land law cannot be delayed any longer, and the millet harvest is also very important."
The Emperor's lips curled up, the room trembled, and he excitedly asked, "Excellent! The Granary Magistrate!"
The magistrate of Taicang bowed and stepped forward from the ranks: "Your subject is here."
"Immediately add this person to your department, and grant him whatever he asks for. Next year's grain production must increase by 20% compared to this year! If it is less than 20%, I will hold you accountable; if it exceeds 20%, I will reward you handsomely."
With a pained expression, Taicang Magistrate Sun Shan forced a smile and said, "Yes."
"I have decided to carry out land reform according to the plan provided by Minister Sima. Yuan Kuai, you will assist the Minister of Agriculture in re-measuring and redistributing the land throughout the country. Minister Sima will supervise the process."
Yuan Kuai had a full beard and looked very imposing and strong. He was honest and straightforward, but also extremely loyal.
He followed the emperor even before the emperor rose to power, achieving great military exploits and being granted the title of Marquis of Guangshun. Furthermore, he married the empress's younger sister, thus gaining the emperor's deep trust.
His presence was not only enough to deter those with ulterior motives, but his position also allowed him to represent the emperor and empress, making him the most suitable person to do so.
This was also the best choice that Sima Hong discussed with the emperor and empress before leaving the capital.
Zuo Ye, the Minister of Agriculture, finally felt relieved. The land law, which had caused a great uproar, had been opposed by some, but now the Emperor's attitude was clear.
His forehead was a little hot, and fine beads of sweat appeared. He thought of the two gold bars at home, which were now a real burden.
Now, all he could do was kneel down and earnestly promise the emperor that he would complete the mission.
After the important matter was finished, the Grand Master of Ceremonies stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Xiongnu envoy Helande has once again submitted a petition requesting to marry the princess."
All the officials in the court already knew the Xiongnu's intentions, but since the emperor had not yet expressed his opinion, none of the ministers dared to provoke him.
The Grand Master of Ceremonies didn't want to mention it, but it was his duty. The Xiongnu had been in the Great Jin for a month, and Helande's gaze toward him was growing colder every day, thinking that he was the one who was causing trouble. He was also afraid that if he didn't handle things properly, it would cause a war, and he couldn't bear such a huge responsibility.
Today, I have no choice but to bring up this matter again under the Emperor's deep gaze.
Chu Pei was quite troubled by this problem. On one hand, there was his wife, who had married him when he was penniless and had suffered a lot with him. On the other hand, there was his beloved concubine, who was delicate and soft and very pleasing to his heart.
If he were to send the newly found eldest princess to marry a foreign ruler, he would inevitably offend the Empress. The Zhang family also held considerable influence in the court, which would destabilize the previous dynasty.
He really couldn't bear to send the second princess to marry a foreign ruler. The child was sweet-talking and looked as well-behaved as her mother. He had watched her grow up since she was a child. How could he bear to send her to such a place to suffer?
Therefore, even though the Xiongnu had been in the capital for a month, he still hadn't made a decision.
Some suggested that a minister's daughter be named a princess and sent to marry her off. However, Helande, taking advantage of the fact that the Great Jin Dynasty had just ended a war and was now facing a famine, proposed that he wanted his own daughter.
It's utterly despicable! If it weren't for the fact that the Great Jin Dynasty needs time to recuperate, how could Chu Pei allow himself to be threatened by such barbarians!
Just wait, he's not done with the Xiongnu yet!
But right now, he still couldn't decide whether it was the eldest princess or the second princess.
Looking at the ministers who had been whispering amongst themselves moments before, now all silent as still pools, he waved his sleeve and said, "This matter will be discussed by the Empress and I. We will give Helande an answer. If he can't wait, let him go back to the Xiongnu!"
After the court session ended, the emperor kept Sima Hong and Yuan Kuai behind.
Inside Jianzhang Palace, Chu Pei asked directly, "Has Chen Zhan, the son of the Prince of Yan, truly been found?"
Sima Hongdao said: "That's right, this person is being secretly imprisoned by me. From now on, the so-called remnants of the Great Yan will no longer be able to cause any trouble."
Chu Pei walked excitedly to Sima Hong and patted him on the shoulder, "Xiu Yuan is indeed reliable. This time, he not only found out the situation in the south very well, but also wiped out the remnants of the Great Yan. I need to think carefully about how to reward you."
"A-Kuai, go to the Sima residence today and secretly escort Chen Zhan to the imperial prison."
Sima Hong's eyes flickered when he heard the Emperor's words, but he did not let the Emperor and Yuan Kuai notice.
Yuan Kuai stood to the side, his massive frame dimming the light somewhat: "Yes!"
Just then, a palace attendant came running to announce, "Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived."
Empress Zhang walked steadily behind her, her imposing presence undeniable. She slowly entered Jianzhang Palace, and Sima Hong and Yuan Kuai bowed to her, saying, "Long live the Empress!"
"My two ministers, there is no need for such formalities."
Empress Zhang stood beside the emperor, who smiled slightly and said, "Why has the empress come?" He still showed great respect to his empress.
The Empress didn't mince words. "Your Majesty, I only wanted to ask if the marriage alliance had been finalized, so I can prepare the princess's dowry." The Emperor felt guilty and dared not look at her.
The Empress did not press the matter further, but looked at Sima Hong and said, "I heard that the son of the Prince of Yan has been found."
Sima Hong replied, "Yes."
The Empress nodded, then turned to Yuan Kuai with concern, "By the way, my younger sister is having a meal in my palace. Go and fetch her so we can return to the manor together."
Yuan Kuai awkwardly replied, "Oh." At this moment, he didn't seem like a general on the battlefield or a minister in the court, but rather like an ordinary brother-in-law responding to his elder sister.
"Lord Sima, you have worked hard and made great contributions this time." Then he said to the two men, "You may leave now. I have important matters to discuss with the Emperor."
The two were about to leave the main hall.
After leaving the palace, Sima Hong did not return to the Sima residence, but went straight to a separate courtyard.
When the servants saw him return, they reported, "Miss Qi dug up the mud from the lotus pond today and watered the millet and wheat potted plants they had planted in the side room." This was the first time the servants had ever seen such an unpretentious young lady.
Sima Hong's lips curled up slightly. "From now on, whatever she wants to do, she can do it. You should not stop her."
The servants dared not stop them; they were simply curious about who this young woman was and why their master was so lenient with her.
Where is she now?
"Reporting to Master, the young lady and Li Xian said they want to marry someone from the millet fields on the outskirts of the city."
Sima Hong looked at the empty courtyard. In the past, he loved the tranquility of this courtyard. Sometimes, when he didn't want to go back to the mansion, he would come here to rest and find it very peaceful and relaxing. But today, he felt that the courtyard was so cold and desolate.
The servants saw that their master had just arrived and left after only a short while, and they couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking.
Sima Hong did not return to his residence. He did not know where he wanted to go. Before he knew it, he had the coachman drive the carriage to a place that Qi Gu and the others would definitely pass through on their way back.
Qi Gu and her father looked around the outskirts of the city. It was already summer, and the people had planted millet and wheat. Li Shi inspected the millet and wheat seeds along the way.
“No, these millet and wheat seeds are not as good as the first generation of seeds we cultivated in Lijia Village.”
Qi Gu squatted down and gently pinched the field with her hand. "It's indeed not plump enough."
The endless expanse of golden millet and wheat suggests that the autumn harvest may not be very bountiful.
When they returned, both father and daughter were preoccupied. "We came all the way from Lijia Village to the capital, and there were corpses of the starving everywhere along the way. If the famine is not resolved soon, even more people will starve to death. Then there will be not only famine but also plague and war."
Thinking back to her past life, Qi Gu realized that, just as her father had said, the famine lasted for almost five years until she married Sima Hong.
At that time, the Empress Dowager and Sima Hong were extremely worried. She listened to the land law proposed by Sima Hong, but due to the low grain yield, the implementation of the land law was very slow.
This also led to the emergence of many bandits. The famine was only slightly alleviated after she married Sima.
"It will take at least another year before the millet and wheat varieties we cultivated can be widely promoted. It will also take time to continue cultivating millet and wheat varieties with higher and more stable yields," Qi Gu said in a somber tone.
Seeing Qi Gu's state, Li Shi said, "The road ahead is long and arduous, but if we, father and daughter, work together, we can overcome any obstacle. Let's strive to increase the millet and wheat production in Liangcheng within two years. Father has confidence!"
Looking at the vast fields of millet and wheat, Qi Gu sighed softly, "I hope so."
"We've finally made it to the capital! Now that we've finished our business, let's go to the biggest restaurant in the capital today. Father's treating!" Li Shi shook off his dejection and patted his purse.
"Ah Xiang, where is the largest restaurant in the capital?"
"Yes, Mr. Li, it is Tao Le Ju."
Qi Gu looked at the purse, which contained only five taels of silver. "Father, with these five taels of silver, we won't even be able to buy a single dish at Tao Le Ju. But I have a place I'd like to go. Why don't we go there?"
When Sima Hong saw Qi Gu sitting by the window of a tavern on the street, intently biting into a string of candied hawthorns, it was as if he saw a scene from his past life, where she and he were here. At that time, they were not yet married. She came to find him, saying that she had a question in a book that she was not quite clear about and wanted to treat him to a meal. So she brought him to this little shop.
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