Chapter 140: Fang Mou Du Judgment
"Is this really made from grass roots or tree roots?" Tian Khan looked at the vermicelli noodles gleaming under the light and couldn't believe it. "Is this really konjac?"
"Whether it is true or not, just try to cook it and you will know. Here is the preparation method, you can verify it." Fang Xuanling said calmly.
"Let someone make a trial product tomorrow. If it works, we can promote it to the interior of the country, Henan Province, and Hebei Province. The people can store some first so they can get enough food when they run out of food, and the court can also relieve some of the pressure." Tian Khan said.
"Your Majesty!" Fang Xuanling bowed.
"Why, my dear minister, do not agree?" Tian Khan was very surprised. This was a good thing that benefited the country and the people. Why did the Minister of the Central Secretariat oppose it?
"Your Majesty, this is a new food that just came out of Lingnan! It is only sold on the upper floor! A pound of vermicelli costs thirty cents." Fang Xuanling reminded.
"So expensive? Isn't this just robbing people?" Tian Khan was furious. "These profiteers dare to sell wild animals raised by nature at such a high price! What's the profit? It's exorbitant!"
The ancient ruling class always emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce because compared to agriculture, business was easier and more profitable.
If we don't suppress it, everyone will go into business. Who will farm the land? If the skin is gone, where will the hair be attached?
It’s not that they didn’t know that doing business is conducive to the circulation of goods and creates commercial value, but the agricultural productivity in ancient times was low and people relied on the weather for their livelihood.
Without sufficient labor to farm, a country will be unable to support its army, officials, etc.
Not to mention that this was a period of good weather. When faced with natural disasters such as drought, floods, locust plagues, frost, and freezing, many farmers lost all their harvest, and merchants took the opportunity to hoard food and drive up prices, making it difficult for the court to provide disaster relief.
Therefore, all dynasties in ancient times had both love and hate for merchants.
"Your Majesty! This thing is new. Although the raw materials are naturally grown, the production waste is large and the flour yield is extremely low. Add to that the costs of purchase and transportation, and thirty cents per pound is not expensive." Fang Xuanling analyzed carefully.
"Alas! I still want to promote it to the common people, but the cost is so high. I'm afraid that the common people can't make much even if they search all the mountains and fields! This place is not like Lingnan, where there are mountains connected to mountains and there are sufficient raw materials." Tian Khan's happy heart cooled down again.
There are also mountains in the north, but due to different climate and geographical location, the wild animals in the mountains are different from those in the south.
There are also fern roots and kudzu, but not as many.
In disaster-stricken areas, the poor consume a huge amount of food every day, and the food they eat naturally is not enough to support them, not to mention that flour production requires a lot of raw materials.
"Your Majesty! In early spring, the young shoots of fern roots and young kudzu leaves are all edible. The people will pick them and take them home to dry and eat." Fang Xuanling said.
These were all seen in the early years. The hungry people would pick and cook anything that was tender and edible.
Elm leaves, locust flowers, pepper leaves, various flowers, bitter herbs, patchouli, dandelions, shepherd's purse, tree bark... as long as it doesn't kill people, they will stuff it all into their stomachs.
In some places, people even eat soil, called Guanyin soil, a kind of clay. After eating it, the abdomen will swell like a drum, and it will be impossible to defecate, and it can even kill people with bloating.
As for fern roots and kudzu roots, ordinary people would never be so extravagant as to use them to make powder. They would just cook them together with the skin and roots, so that they can eat them for several meals!
Those who have never experienced famine will never be able to understand the horror of hunger.
"A pound of vermicelli is roughly equivalent to the price of ten pounds of old rice..." Tian Khan paused before he finished speaking.
A pound of old rice costs three cents in a good year, when there is no disaster. But now, due to the locust plague, the price of grain in the interior has already risen to nine cents.
If news of frost disasters comes out in Henan and Hebei, I am afraid that the price of food in these areas will continue to rise!
Moreover, most of the merchants are from wealthy and powerful families. Once the method of making vermicelli is announced, these wealthy and powerful families will use their power to occupy the market, or purchase large quantities of vermicelli and sell them at high prices to make huge profits.
The people who deserve the most benefit get nothing.
Speaking of aristocratic families, Tian Khan was very distressed.
The five surnames and seven families have stood for thousands of years, intermarried with each other, and have deep roots and flourishing leaves. The imperial power is nothing in front of them.
Most of the officials in the court came from aristocratic families, and any move they made would affect the entire body, which made the emperor feel very constrained. Many new policies that would benefit the people and the court were difficult to promulgate and implement.
Even the selection of talents by the imperial court was controlled by them, and they only chose their own people.
Take the imperial examination for example. Aren’t you, the emperor, selecting people from humble backgrounds?
Well, candidates need a letter of recommendation. A letter of recommendation is equivalent to winning over power. If students want to get a letter of recommendation from the powerful or wealthy families, they must join their school.
Then, the names of candidates are not covered during the exam. Not only do they have to fill in their full names, but they also have to fill in their place of origin, three generations of ancestors, etc. The examiners are all from aristocratic families and can tell who is their own person at a glance, so the high school graduates are all from aristocratic families.
The very few who come from poor families and cannot be used by them are suppressed and marginalized.
So Tian Khan is working on a project to rewrite the ranking of aristocratic families.
The origin of the Li surname in Longyou can be traced back to the descendants of Li Guang, the flying general of the Han Dynasty, ranking first among the aristocratic families.
The move of moving the five surnames and seven families to the back was strongly opposed by the gentry, who refused to acknowledge that the Li family in Longyou were descendants of Li Guang.
"Your Majesty, a pound of vermicelli costs thirty wen, which is equivalent to the filling amount of old rice at three wen a pound. Taking into account transportation and loss, it is converted to about five or six wen a pound shipped from other places.
"If done properly, it could curb grain prices in Henan and Hebei, ensuring the people survive the famine." Fang Xuanling said cryptically.
"My dear minister, what you mean is..." The wise Tian Khan understood instantly.
Fang Xuanling Chongtian Khan nodded slightly, "Your Majesty, how to proceed with this matter, we need to summon Prime Minister Du and make detailed plans!"
"Very good, very good!" Tian Khan was very happy and asked someone to go to Du Mansion to invite Du Ruhui immediately.
Du Ruhui, who had just rested, learned that the emperor had summoned him. Despite feeling unwell, he hurriedly got up, put on his official robes and entered the palace.
The emperor would not summon his close ministers in the middle of the night unless it was an urgent matter, not to mention that the one on duty tonight was the Minister of the Central Secretariat Fang Xuanling.
Du Ruhui was from Duling County, Jingzhao. His father was Du Zha, the chief officer of Changzhou in the previous dynasty.
When the Tang Dynasty was first established, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui jointly controlled the government, and all the rules and regulations were set by the two of them.
Du Ruhui was good at making decisions, and Fang Xuanling was good at planning. The two men worked together in perfect harmony, assisting Tian Khan with Fang planning and Du making decisions.
In the second year of Zhenguan, Du Ruhui served as the Minister of Personnel in addition to his position as the Inspector of the Imperial Secretariat, and was in charge of the military forces of the Eastern Palace. This shows how much he was trusted and valued by the Khan of Heaven.
In the carriage, Du Ruhui closed his eyes and rested, wondering in his heart what the urgent summons was for.
Amidst speculation, I arrived at the Chongwen Hall of the Eastern Palace. The candles were brightly lit, and Tian Khan and Fang Xuanling were smiling, not as anxious as I had imagined.
Du Ruhui looked at the two of them in confusion. Could it be that the Turks had won a great victory?
"My dear minister, you are here! I summon you urgently so late at night because there is something that needs to be settled. I have no choice but to bother you!" Tian Khan said kindly.
"I dare not. Sharing your majesty's worries is my duty!" Du Ruhui bowed and said, "I wonder why your majesty is so anxious to break off the relationship?"
"Take a look at this first!" Tian Khan pointed to the memorials from Feng Xu, Wei Shutong and Li Boyan of Lingnan Province.
Fang Xuanling had just read the secret memorials from Wei Shutong and Li Boyan.
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