freenovelworld Chapter 424 Solution!
Chapter 424 Solution!
Duanmu Chuze recognized Liu Yi the moment he entered the door!
Liu Yi from Jiangnan is Lu Shaofeng's father-in-law, and also the master he has always wanted to win over!
"Your Highness, our supplies are arriving one after another. Moreover, the eldest son of the Zhenguo General's Mansion, Mr. Li, has also prepared a considerable amount for us. I heard that it was sent to Yan in the name of the Zhenguo General's Mansion," Xu Hai reported.
"Well, Anuan is the granddaughter of the General of the State. It's understandable that they would do things for our Yan region. Besides, all they're preparing are some old clothes, so it's unlikely that anyone would have any ulterior motives."
"Your Highness is wise. The first batch of coal we mined has now been successfully transported down the mountain. It is estimated that this coal can supply a thousand people for about ten days. Of course, this is only for nighttime use; it cannot be used during the day."
"Yes. As for the coal, since it has already been mined, there will naturally be more to come, so there's no need to rush. However, there is one thing that must be kept in mind for me: the first coal mined is solely for the use of the displaced people. No government or noble family is allowed to get a single piece from it! Not even in exchange for silver!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Wang Zhao nodded and said, "Your Highness, these coals are being transported by our soldiers, so there shouldn't be any problems. However, with such a large number of refugees, there will always be issues of some receiving some and others not receiving any, as well as uneven distribution. This may seem like a small matter, but it can easily cause disputes among the refugees."
"Yes, pass down the order: if anyone takes this opportunity to cause trouble, kill them on the spot!"
Xu Hai was taken aback. "Your Highness, isn't this a bit too harsh?"
"No! I naturally have a heart that loves the people, but if someone dares to go against the overall situation, then he is the enemy of the entire Yan region. What use is such a person?"
"Your Highness is right. We should not be lenient in dealing with such wicked people, lest we lose more than we gain. Once the situation gets out of control, the number of dead and injured will not be just a few, but dozens! Moreover, our soldiers will likely suffer casualties as well," Wang Zhao analyzed in a deep voice.
"Right now, we still have a few things to do separately."
"Please give your orders, Your Highness."
"The problem of displaced people has been a major challenge throughout history. One aspect is the suppression of land annexation."
Duanmu Chuze's tone was somewhat stern, and everyone below also put their minds at ease and listened attentively. Xu Hai was also on the side, quickly taking notes.
"Land annexation has always been a cause of the migration of people. To solve the problem of migrants, it is crucial to curb land annexation. In the past, my ancestors in the Great Yong Dynasty tried various methods to curb land annexation so that farmers could have land to cultivate and live in peace and contentment. However, as long as there was any relaxation, land annexation would often become uncontrollable. This was a common problem for almost every dynasty throughout history."
"Your Highness is absolutely right, but is it time to implement new policies?"
"That's right! To curb land annexation, the first thing to do is to implement a new land policy! Implement the equal-field system."
"Equal-field system?" Everyone was stunned; they had never heard of such a system before.
"The so-called equal-field system is a system of distributing land according to population. After a certain number of years of cultivation, part of the land becomes the personal property of the individual, and part of the land is returned to the government after death. As for the specific number of years, that is something you will discuss together."
No one noticed that Mr. Liu, sitting in the corner, nodded slightly, his face showing approval.
"Secondly, stockpile grain for famine relief. Natural disasters are the natural factors that generate refugees, while war is a man-made factor. To control the impact of refugees on the Yan region, stockpiling grain for famine relief is an indispensable control method."
Xu Hai hesitated for a moment, "Your Highness, I understand the importance of this move. However, stockpiling grain for famine requires the establishment of a complete storage system. Throughout history, most rulers have attached great importance to the construction of granaries, hoping to enhance their control over the situation through the layout of granaries. However, it is easier said than done."
Lu Shaofeng, standing beside him, frowned and said with some worry, "Since the Han Dynasty, granaries of all kinds have sprung up, some managed by the government, some built by the people themselves, and some built by local gentry. Regardless of the type, they have an invaluable effect on disaster prevention and mitigation and on controlling the generation of displaced people. It is not hard to imagine how powerful this function is in stabilizing the Yan region and calming people's hearts."
Lu Shaofeng then changed the subject, "But as the storage system has been in place for a long time, numerous problems have arisen. Some have been misappropriated, some have been embezzled, and some have been used as a pretext to exploit the people. This has greatly diminished its function. In other words, although there are many granaries in Yan, quite a few have been diverted to other uses."
Even Duanmu Chuze had to admit this.
Firstly, disasters don't happen every year, and people often become careless. This can be corrected. As long as the local government and the people are more aware of this, it shouldn't be too difficult to handle.
The real problem is that some officials use these granaries for personal gain! This is absolutely intolerable.
"Your Highness, perhaps we could postpone dealing with the granary issue until next year, since it's currently empty. We can put it off for now."
Duanmu Chuze nodded, "Alright. You guys think about this first, and when you're less busy, you can draft a plan."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Duanmu Chuze paced back and forth in the room a few times. "I just mentioned two points that will be extremely helpful for the current and future disasters and the resettlement of displaced people. In addition, it reminded me of what the Princess Consort said yesterday. The people are already impoverished, how can they possibly bear the heavy taxes?"
"Therefore, the third point is to reduce the burden. As the saying goes, 'oppressive government is more ferocious than a tiger,' which has always been an important reason for farmers to leave their homes and migrate to distant places. Throughout history, many wise and virtuous rulers have paid great attention to reducing the burden on farmers so that they can recuperate and thrive. This is something we should emulate."
"Your Highness, our state treasury is already short of money. If taxes are reduced further, I'm afraid it won't even be enough to pay the court next year!" Xu Hai said with some difficulty.
Lu Shaofeng raised an eyebrow. "Your Highness, in my humble opinion, disaster relief is of utmost importance right now. A large portion of the displaced people are starving. Natural disasters are unavoidable, but we do not want to see them cause hunger. Currently, manpower can alleviate some of the difficulties, so the most urgent task is to solve their food and clothing problems first."