Seventy Reforms Window (Part 2)

  PS: Today, Ah Yan has officially turned twenty years old and embarked on the journey of "rushing towards thirty". In ancient times, this was a symbol of a man's formal coming of age, requiring him to undergo a capping ceremony, be given a style name, and demonstrate that he is a fully independent man. Although modern times no longer have this custom, psychologically, twenty years old is also a boundary. Ah Yan feels that he can now be considered a real man, able to take responsibility for himself and plan his own future.

  Moreover... on such a day of universal celebration, shouldn't all readers show some enthusiasm? Hehe, let's start collecting and voting for Sanjiang! Speaking of which, Sanjiang is only ranked 7th, it's really depressing. Everyone needs to give more support! No more words, let's get started

  As a nouveau riche in a feudal society, having received so many rewards and gifts, Suning didn't think he couldn't afford to take out 800 taels of silver. The saying "having a fortune at one's waist" was indeed true for Suning at the moment. One tael of gold was worth about ten taels of copper coins, one tael of silver was worth about one tael of copper coins, and one piece of silk was worth about half a tael of copper coins, or around 500 wen. The piles of silk and gold, silver, and copper coins in his warehouse were too much trouble to not spend; money wouldn't multiply on its own, and if it wasn't spent, it would always remain that way, slowly rotting away.

  But providing these tenant farmers with oxen to plow the fields is a great kindness, and with the oxen, their farming speed and efficiency have greatly improved. The rural labor force can be liberated to some extent, so they can start raising some agricultural by-products, such as chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, sheep, etc. They not only need grain but also meat, and only when grain and meat are both available is it a long-term solution!

  There was a Huaxi Village, the No. 1 village in China back then, why can't Great Tang also have a No. 1 Zhuang? Using our own Zhuangzi as a window for reform, leading everyone to walk towards the road of prosperity together, although I don't know what will appear during the process, but since there is a problem, there must be a corresponding solution, even if at that time oneself is still alive or not... isn't everything possible?

  Su Ning didn't care about this money, as the saying goes "a thousand gold scattered will return again", Li Taibai's words still have practical significance, as long as you're good at operating, it's true that a thousand gold is scattered and ten thousand gold returns. But Wang Yuan doesn't think so, who would spend such a large sum of money on these lowly tenant farmers? How much money do you need to have to invest in these people? So many plows, this is almost an ideal situation! Is this possible? It's possible, because it has really happened now...

  The tenants would not think so, although the law of the Tang Dynasty is strict, the landlord's family will not over-exploit the tenants. But who can say "this land is mine and also yours"? Who can give 200 head of cattle to the tenants as a gift? In this era, one cow is just like the pillar of a family, more important than life! Is this landlord a prodigal son or a great philanthropist? For a moment, these elderly people who are considered old in the Tang Dynasty were stunned...

  This is an era where a promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold, especially for those in power. Although they have unlimited authority, they are still bound by invisible chains. There is no absolute feudal autocracy or dictatorship, even the emperor has the phrase "the ruler's words are not to be taken lightly" hanging over his head. A ruler who speaks without keeping his promises will inevitably lose people's trust. The credibility of this era is an important factor for the government to maintain its rule. If it loses credibility, resistance and rebellion will naturally follow.

  So the old farmers left with endless joy, believing that Suning would not deceive them. What benefits would they get from deceiving these ordinary people? This was their thinking, and they did not believe that their master would deceive them. They left, taking away the rice that Suning had repeatedly instructed to be carefully cultivated and transplanted.

  "This, this, San Yuan Bo, such a big deal, you, are you not supposed to think thrice?" Looking at the old farmers all leaving, Wang Yuan still felt somewhat unbelievable, everything was too strange, so he couldn't help but ask.

  Su Ning waved his hand: "County Magistrate Wang, since this has been said, there's no taking it back. A person without credibility will end up in a bad place, you understand that. Moreover, they are all my tenants. If they don't live well, can I live well? Also, this money, if you put it at home, in the warehouse, or in some secret place, it won't decrease, but it also won't increase. If you leave it there without moving it, it's dead and useless. It looks good, but what's the use of it? What did you gain from having this money? You only got the money itself, nothing else."

  Money won't breed money, no matter how you look at it, but spending it makes a difference. Although the money is gone, cattle have arrived. Cattle are money and money is cattle - I haven't lost anything. These cattle can bring prosperity to this farm and make tenants grateful to me. With cattle, everyone doesn't need to work so hard every day to cultivate the land by hand. Families without men can also cultivate a lot of land with cattle, and old men don't have to go down to the fields either.

  With the help of cattle, these things are not very difficult, and the tenants can relax a bit, saving a lot of time. This time can be used to raise some chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, and sheep. After raising these domestic animals, the family will also become more prosperous. If 600 households all raise some domestic animals, won't their lives be better? At first, when the family is poor and cannot afford to raise them, without money to buy fodder, I can provide financial support, get through this difficult period, and after this season's harvest, their lives will be even better. By then, I won't need to provide financial support anymore.

  They are my tenants, and also the source of my food. The better they live, the more I get. What I am giving them now is for greater returns in the future. Without giving, where would the returns come from? That's called exploitation, which will leave a bad name behind. But if all these are brought to them by me, they will only be grateful to me. In this way, you're good, I'm good, everyone's good, isn't it?

  "Prefect Wang, look at this place. It's like a window that showcases the results of all our efforts to the entire Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty can see the results of everything we've worked for through us here. Prefect Wang, at that time, you'll be able to proudly say to all the officials who come to visit us what I'm saying to you today."

  After finishing speaking, Suning rode his horse and galloped away with Niu Geng and the four Golden Guardians. Wang Yuan was immersed in the words spoken by Suning and the scene he described, completely unaware that Suning had already left...

  Authentic ancient atmosphere, authentic green mountains and clear waters, authentic rural dwellings, everything is authentic in the style of the great Tang Dynasty, everything remains unchanged. Such a situation will not be seen in the future world. Are they happy? Are they unhappy? Have they been exploited? Have they been enslaved? Have they been oppressed by feudalism?

  It's the same old saying, how can one know the joy of fish if they are not a fish themselves? Feudalism is just feudalism, and even emperors can be oppressed. The oppressors come from all sides, and the pressure that emperors bear is actually on the same level as what everyone else in this era bears. Everyone's life is at risk. The only difference between the ruling class and the ruled class in terms of human standing is whether or not they have enough to eat.

  Especially Li Er, the emperor he established, the system he implemented, all show that he is also a monarch under great pressure. The world is not just one person's, the emperor's.

  What is written in history books, whether it's right or wrong, and how scholars understand it, are not as important as the genuine thoughts and feelings of those who were there. Their thoughts, their feelings, can't be captured by just a few lines on paper. Whether they truly felt happy, who knows?

  Suning, of course, doesn't know either. No one can read minds, but there's always someone who knows what they need, what can bring them more joy or turn their unhappiness into happiness. Having enough to eat and wear is the most basic happiness for people in this era. In fact, hasn't it always been this way? Only after achieving this foundation can people pursue other things. Suning wants to complete this foundation and protect it, watching as later generations add brick by brick, so they don't have to start from scratch again...

  This also requires a level, requires an opportunity, and requires power. Without these things, it is impossible to do things. Now that Suning has all three of these things, he can start doing them. Suning rode his horse around the 2,000 mu of land that had been granted to him, and roughly came up with some ideas and preparations. A large piece of land like this, if planted with those seeds, would certainly be able to achieve the great goal of an agricultural revolution. Therefore, before this, everything needed must be prepared.

  What to do when a drought comes? What to do when a flood comes? What to do when a locust disaster comes? And, what to do when a man-made disaster comes?

  The above-mentioned ones are natural disasters, and an emergency prevention system can be established. Once these things happen, farmers can spontaneously minimize their losses. As for man-made disasters, they cannot be controlled by themselves, so let's not worry about it for now. Isn't small-scale farming just relying on heaven for food? When the weather is favorable, people eat well; once the heavens change their face, it will inevitably lead to widespread famine, a common occurrence throughout history.

  Natural disasters are only part of the problem, human-made disasters are the main issue. The government's inaction, officials' inaction, and the people's own inaction are what lead to the terrifying scene of widespread famine when disaster strikes. Therefore, if we want to prevent natural disasters and minimize the losses they bring, we must prepare three emergency response plans: one for the central government, one for local officials, and one for the local people.

  Su Ning decided to start researching the three emergency plans for disaster prevention, making San Yuan County a model county in the Great Tang Dynasty. Then, with San Yuan County as the center of radiation, it will radiate in all directions and enable the Great Tang Dynasty to have the basic ability to prevent disasters in the shortest time possible. Instead of waiting for disasters to occur and then having the people seek help from the government, the government seeking help from the central government, and the central government arguing with each other, doing nothing, and letting the disaster wreak havoc, only to start all over again.

  This absolutely cannot be done, if so, what is the use of having a government and officials?

  What should the common people do? First of all, they must have a surplus of grain, an adequate surplus, because no matter whether it is drought, flood, locust plague or other disasters, the most direct and fundamental harm is to agriculture. In feudal society, agriculture is also the most vulnerable and important. The saying "agriculture is the foundation of the country" comes from this. Therefore, the state attaches great importance to agriculture, but it cannot come up with a good method, thinking that as long as there are fields and oxen, they can enjoy peace and stability, which is not enough.

  Leftover grains, how can there be leftover grains? This is originally the most powerless but currently the most possible thing that Suning can do first. Other than that, Suning plans to secretly plant a piece of land in his own backyard, and the easiest to accept rice should meet with the world first, see what effect it has. As for other crops such as potatoes, corn, peppers, peanuts, etc. that are currently not available in the Tang Dynasty, don't rush, first get the most important food sorted out.

  Other things, due to the small number of seeds, must be carefully cultivated. The first generation of fruit that is grown must also be left for seed and cannot be eaten, otherwise there will really be none; once these things are done, grain production will not be a problem. In recent years, the Tang Dynasty has been in a relatively stable period, and Emperor Li II understands that this is not the time to wage war, but rather to rest and recover. The world is tired of war for a long time, and it cannot be ignored. However, once some strength is gained, Emperor Li II's restless personality will certainly prompt him to stir up trouble when there is none. At that time, something else will be needed to shift his attention.