My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 448 Nourishing the Tang Dynasty with the resources of all nations
The autumn night wind carried the hustle and bustle of the West Market through the alleys. Li Yifu sat at his desk in his humble room, unconsciously tapping on the worn-out copy of "Agricultural and Sericultural Affairs Notes".

Three days ago, he overheard a minor official from the Inspection Department chatting about court affairs at a tavern. Those fragmented discussions still lingered in his ears, like countless needles pricking his thoughts.

"Prime Minister Fang said he wanted to expand the granaries and improve the canal transport, but 30% of the grain from Jiangnan gets moldy on the way to Guanzhong. What's the use of storing more?"

"Minister Changsun proposed an agricultural skills assessment, but when new agricultural tools arrive in the countryside, they are useless if the people don't know how to use them. Last year's 'Essential Techniques of Agriculture and Sericulture' was used as waste paper by the county magistrate in my hometown to prop up the table legs."

"Wei Gong wants to investigate the hidden lands, which is satisfying to hear, but which of those powerful families doesn't have a powerful backer? If things really get out of hand, I'm afraid the court will be in chaos first."

"Chu Qing's drought-resistant beans are good, but the trial planting will take three years. Grain prices in Guanzhong have risen this year. Can we afford to wait?"

The idle gossip of the minor officials hit the nail on the head regarding all the suggestions.

Li Yifu took a sip of cold tea, which slid down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the irritation in his heart.

He spread out paper and pen, listed the proposals of several ministers one by one, and then crossed them out one by one.

Fang Xuanling's storage and transportation methods focused on cost reduction but failed to address the fundamental issue of increasing revenue.

Changsun Wuji's agricultural skills are slow and ineffective in solving the current food shortage.

Wei Zheng's suppression of land annexation was a risky move; a slight misstep could shake the foundation of the new policies.

Chu Suiliang's new approach was a long-term strategy, but distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

"They all work in the fields, but there are only so many fields. If there is a drought or a flood, the whole year's harvest is gone."

Li Yifu muttered to himself, crumpled the paper into a ball, and threw it on the ground.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the "Map of the Great Tang Dynasty" spread out on the table. The counties and prefectures of the Central Plains were densely marked with "poor harvest" and "rising grain prices," while the directions to the Western Regions and India were blank, with only the faint words "foreign merchants coming and going" written on them.

He has barely slept these past few days.

During the day, they would go to the school to listen to lectures, and at night they would squat outside the grain stores in the West Market to watch the camel caravans of foreign merchants unload bags of barley and rice, which would then be bought up by the grain merchants at high prices in the blink of an eye.

On one occasion, he couldn't help but stop a Sogdian merchant and ask, "Is there plenty of grain in your hometown?"

The merchant patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "There's plenty! Plenty to feed camels, but it's too expensive to transport them to Chang'an. We also have to pay the tribes along the way."

"Pay the money..." Li Yifu suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the small room.

He recalled the days when he accompanied Prince Li Zhi of Jin on an inspection tour of the border regions. The tribal leaders would fawn over the Tang army and offer gifts, while they would ambush and rob merchant caravans.

Remembering the craftsmen of Bailiansi saying that "the newly made cannons can blast down stone walls," the border generals said privately, "With this thing, the Western Regions countries will not dare to bomb the enemy."

A thought vaguely emerged, yet remained unclear.

He pulled out the "Border Army Military Equipment Record" that had been hidden at the bottom of the box. It was a secret book that he had asked his old subordinates to copy. It recorded that "cannons have a range of three miles and can break through city defenses" and "a hundred men firing muskets at once can repel a thousand cavalry."

As he glanced at the words "the Western Regions are terrified of firearms," ​​he suddenly stopped.

Why must we insist on doing good trade with foreign nations? Why can't we use stronger measures to make them obediently send us grain?

The idea sent a jolt through him, making him both excited and uneasy.

He walked to the bronze mirror and looked at himself in the mirror, dressed in a white blouse with sunken eyes and even gray hair at his temples.

Four years of setbacks wore away his impetuousness, but also sharpened his colder edge.

"The old ministers have tried all the mild methods, but the Crown Prince wants to solve the problem, not maintain appearances."

He sneered at his reflection in the mirror: "What they dare not even think about is my opportunity."

He spread out the Xuan paper again, the tip of his brush hovering in mid-air, but his hand was trembling.

If we only talk about trade, we will surely be drowned out by the strategies of the ministers; but if we mention "using cannons to force grain," will we be accused of "exhausting the army and being reckless"?
He recalled the Crown Prince's decisiveness in implementing the new policies.

They dared to issue "infrastructure bonds" in order to build cement roads.

In order to investigate corruption, they dared to set up an "Inspection Department" to directly investigate the six ministries.

This crown prince was never afraid of using radical methods, only of them being ineffective.

“Food shortage is a dead end; if gentle methods don’t work, we have to use drastic measures.” Li Yifu gritted his teeth and laid out the “Records of Border Army Equipment” and the “Map of Western Regions Trade Routes” side by side.

Under the moonlight, the trade routes on the map resembled blood vessels, while the military towns were positioned like the heart, and firearms were the driving force that propelled the blood to the Tang Dynasty.

He picked up his pen and wrote the words "Use military might to govern all nations," the ink seeping through the paper as if carrying the smell of gunpowder.

The wind outside the window picked up, making the oil lamp flicker and reflect the ambition throbbing in his eyes.

Li Yifu slammed his hand on the table, his pen landing heavily on the paper: "Yes! That's it—use whatever they fear to coerce them; use whatever they want to lure them in!"

The fog that had been troubling him for days finally lifted, and he knew he had found the strategy that would catch the Crown Prince's eye. This time, he didn't talk about storage, agricultural techniques, or fields; he only talked about weapons and their control, and how to make grain from all over the world flood into the Tang Dynasty's granaries like a tidal wave.

Li Yifu picked up his pen and wrote a new title: "On Using Military Might to Control All Nations and Secure the Granaries to Safeguard the Great Tang Dynasty," each word as if it were coated with iron filings.

"While Your Highness's new policies are flourishing, the root of the food shortage lies in 'limited production capacity and unstable supply of foreign grain.' The yield per mu of land in the Central Plains has reached its limit, while the Western Regions, India, and Persia have surplus grain. However, due to their insufficient fear of us and excessive greed, they often embezzle grain under the pretext of 'skyrocketing grain prices' and 'dangerous journeys.' I believe that if we want to obtain grain from foreign lands, we must first unsheathe the blade of the Great Tang."

"The newly manufactured cannons of the Hundred Refinements Bureau have a range of three li and can penetrate iron armor. These are powerful weapons to subdue foreign lands. Your Highness, please order the border troops to build more 'firearms garrisons' in key trade routes such as Yiwu and Kucha. Each garrison should be equipped with ten cannons and five hundred muskets, and the military equipment should be managed by Jinshi graduates from the Practical Affairs Department."

"Whenever a vassal state pays tribute, it must be allowed to witness a cannon drill in person, so that they know that the might of the Great Tang is inviolable."

“If any country dares to default on its grain tax, first cut off its silk and iron trade; if it still does not comply, send troops to garrison the firearms battalion to ‘patrol the border,’ force it to pay grain as atonement, and blast a corner of its capital city with a cannon shot, which is better than a thousand alliances.”

As he wrote this, a ruthless glint flashed in Li Yifu's eyes. He knew all too well the nature of foreign tribes. He had learned from his time accompanying the Prince of Jin on border affairs that these tribes feared power but not morality, and only a strong fist could make them obey.

“All vassal states of the Tang Dynasty were required to set an ‘annual tribute quota’ based on population and yield per mu: the Indian kingdoms were required to pay 100,000 shi of rice annually, the Western Regions were required to pay 50,000 shi of barley annually, and the land east of Persia were required to pay 30,000 shi of drought-resistant wheat annually. The court would send a ‘grain tax supervisor’ to reside in their capital city to directly supervise the grain payment.”

"The Grain Tax Supervisor holds the power of life and death: if a country has a bumper harvest but lacks grain, it can temporarily record the shortfall in its accounts to offset the trade tax of the following year; if a country still dares to hoard grain in a year of disaster, the Grain Tax Supervisor, together with the military garrison, will petition His Highness to send troops to 'help quell the rebellion'—in reality, to confiscate its granaries as a warning to others."

He specifically noted next to the "Grain Tax Supervisor": "Select those with practical experience and agricultural expertise to serve in this position. They will not only supervise the grain production but also 'teach them new planting techniques,' using both kindness and strictness to ensure they dare not rebel." This was both a means of control and a way to curry favor with the Crown Prince, demonstrating his practical skills and suitability for the position.

“Fighting alone won’t work; we need to use both kindness and severity. We can allow vassal states to exchange grain for goods: for every 100 shi of grain they transport, they can exchange it for 10 bolts of Shu brocade, 5 pieces of ironware, or have their caravans exempted from 30% of customs duties; if they can exceed the grain transport quota, their kings will be granted the title of ‘Honorary General of the Great Tang’ and their sons will be allowed to study at the Chang’an Academy.”

"Anyone who defaults on grain taxes three times will have their status as a vassal state revoked and all trade cut off; anyone who colludes with bandits to rob grain will be directly 'suppressed' by firearms-equipped garrisons, and their capital city will be converted into a granary of the Tang Dynasty—let all nations know that doing grain business with the Tang Dynasty is a business that can only be profitable, not defaulted on."

Li Yifu put down his pen. The ink on the policy essay on the table was not yet dry, but it already smelled of blood.

This was not a moderate trade policy, but a blatant military plunder, yet he packaged it as a sound strategy to "secure the granaries and secure the Tang Dynasty."

He knew Li Chengqian too well. This crown prince valued practical results. As long as the food problem could be solved, what was wrong with taking radical measures?
At the end of his essay, Li Yifu added a sharp remark: "I know this strategy seems harsh, but in chaotic times, harsh measures are necessary, and in years of food shortages, an iron fist is required. Trade is the 'soft rope,' and military might is the 'hard lock.' Only by combining both can we ensure that grain from all nations flows into the Tang Dynasty's granaries like rivers flowing into the sea."

"For the past four years, I have been paying close attention to the firearms of the border troops and the grain production of foreign lands. I am willing to go to the Western Regions to serve as the Grain and Tax Supervisor and personally take charge of the grain supervision."

"If we can use cannons to blast open a route for transporting grain, I will have no regrets even if I am shattered to pieces. This is my wish to secure the granaries for Your Highness and to bring peace to the people of the Tang Dynasty."

The last sentence, though written with heartfelt emotion, cannot conceal the ambition hidden between the lines.

What he wanted was not the position of "Grain Tax Supervisor," but rather to use this pretext to regain power and show those who looked down on him that Li Yifu's sword had never been dull.

The moonlight from outside the window shone into the humble room, illuminating the words "cannons," "muskets," and "military towns" on the policy essay, making them look like shattered knives scattered on the ground.

Li Yifu folded up the policy essay, stuffed it into his bosom, and his chest heaved violently beneath his blue robe.

This time, he wasn't betting on the Crown Prince's focus on practical matters, but rather that the Crown Prince needed someone ruthless and daring enough to do the dirty work that the veteran officials dared not do.

As the morning bell of the West Market rang again, Li Yifu carried his policy essays toward the Imperial City Guard, his footsteps on the bluestone slabs sounding like the beating of war drums.

He knew that this policy document, stained with the glint of a sword, would either condemn him to eternal damnation or return him to the center of power.

And he could afford to gamble.

There's nothing we can do but gamble.
-
The Secretariat.

It was an afternoon in late autumn of the twenty-fourth year of the Zhenguan era.

When Wang Jingzhi, the official in charge of receiving documents, casually took the file, he almost dropped his teacup on the table when he saw the signature on the cover: "Former Jin Dynasty Chief Secretary Wang, Assistant Compiler Li Yifu".

"Li Yifu?"

He gasped softly, drawing sidelong glances from his colleagues.

"That 'strategist' in the struggle for the throne? Wasn't he put on hold long ago? How come he's still submitting policy essays?"

The Secretariat was in charge of reviewing government orders, and hundreds of documents circulated every day, but the name "Li Yifu" was too special.

Four years ago, after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, all of Prince Li Zhi's officials were demoted, and Li Yifu was even regarded as a "potential threat." Although he was not convicted, he became a sensitive figure in the court. The officials gathered around, looking at the "practical policy discussion" label on the file, and exchanged bewildered glances.

"Open it and take a look. According to the rules, all practical policy proposals must be registered and reviewed in the initial stage."

"The most senior official, Zhang Jianzhi, said in a deep voice, his fingertips pausing on the cover."

"He's a graduate of the Mingjing examination, so perhaps he does have some insight."

As Wang Jingzhi carefully opened the dossier and began to unfold the policy essay, the surprise on his face gradually turned into astonishment, and finally into unconcealable fear.

He read faster and faster, his fingertips trembling. When he read "bombard their fortifications with artillery" and "confiscate their granaries as a warning to others," he slammed the essay shut, his voice tight: "This...this is no essay, it's a declaration of war! He actually advocates using artillery to force vassal states to supply grain, and he even wants to establish a 'grain tax supervisor' with the power of life and death. This is too radical!"

The surrounding officials passed it around, and for a moment the office of the Secretariat was completely silent except for the rustling of the paper turning.

Some gasped: "Sending the border troops' artillery battalion to 'patrol' the border and forcibly collect grain? If this incites a rebellion by foreign powers, who will bear the responsibility?"

Some people frowned: "Though his words are harsh, he is telling the truth—the Western Regions countries do indeed bully the weak and fear the strong. Last year, the caravan was robbed three times, but the court did not punish them severely."

Zhang Jianzhi held the policy treatise, his brows furrowed.

Having served as an official for many years, he was used to seeing mild policies on people's livelihood, but this was the first time he had seen a memorial like this, with sharp edges between the lines.

Li Yifu's writing is sharp and ruthless, pointing out that "trade is not enough to secure grain supplies," advocating "using military might as a shield and trade as bait," and even listing specific firearm configurations and grain tax quotas. He also clearly wrote about how to "use both kindness and force," which is by no means empty rhetoric.

"But he is Li Yifu."

Wang Jingzhi was deeply worried.

"His reputation was so bad during the struggle for the throne, would His Highness believe him? Besides, this policy proposal advocates using force. If it angers His Highness, won't those of us who submitted it be implicated?"

These words struck a chord with everyone's concerns. Although the Secretariat had the authority to review applications, it was also afraid of taking responsibility.

If a disgraced official were to put forward such radical proposals, and were labeled as "provoking diplomatic relations" or "aggressively pursuing military expansion," no one could guarantee that they could extricate themselves from the blame.

Someone suggested, "Why don't we... suppress it? Just say 'the content is not practical' and return it."

Zhang Jianzhi shook his head: "His Highness the Crown Prince hates the idea of ​​'disregarding words because of personnel matters' the most. If we suppress it, we will really have to take responsibility when it is found out in the future."

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Furthermore, although this policy proposal is harsh, it directly addresses the question of grain raised by His Highness the Crown Prince in the court, and it cannot be suppressed."

The officials started arguing again, with some worried about "escalating the conflict" and others thinking it was "worth a try," making the atmosphere in the duty room increasingly tense.

Finally, Zhang Jianzhi made the final decision: "We'll proceed according to the rules. We'll note in our review comments that 'the policy proposals are radical, and the deployment of border troops requires caution,' and then seal it for submission. Whether or not to adopt it is up to His Highness the Crown Prince."

As the sun set, Li Yifu's policy essays were packed into a specially made wooden box and carried by eunuchs from the Secretariat to the Eastern Palace.

The officials in the duty room watched the eunuch's departing figure with lingering fear.

This policy proposal from the disillusioned chief secretary is like a hot iron, and it's unknown what kind of waves it will stir up in the Eastern Palace.

Meanwhile, Li Yifu was squatting outside a tavern in the West Market, watching the bustling and lively scene.

(End of this chapter)