Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 455 The Equal Distribution of Land!
In November of the first year of the Hongwu reign, when the news that Emperor Su Yun of the Ming Dynasty was determined to conquer Jianmen Pass spread like wildfire throughout the land, the Song Dynasty court was instantly plunged into extreme fear and panic.

Faced with the overwhelming Ming army, even though the Song Dynasty knew the road ahead would be difficult, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and devise a countermeasure to try to hold onto their precarious half of the country.

Emperor Zhao Xu of the Song Dynasty urgently summoned all civil and military officials to discuss strategies for defending against the enemy in the magnificent yet solemn Golden Palace.

In the imperial court, the ministers had different expressions; some had furrowed brows and looked anxious.

Some whispered and murmured among themselves, and for a moment, the hall was filled with noise.

Prime Minister Zeng Bu stepped forward first. He was thin and had a solemn expression. His voice trembled slightly: "Your Majesty, Su Yun is a wolf in sheep's clothing. This time, he has led his army to conquer Shu with great force. The military strength on the border of our Great Song is already weak, and it is difficult to resist his fierce army."

In my humble opinion, the most urgent task is to swiftly dispatch elite troops from various regions to reinforce the border regions of Sichuan, strengthen fortifications, and build a solid defensive line in order to withstand the Ming army's attack.

However, this statement was immediately met with strong opposition from military general Li Zhongjie.

Li Wei was a burly man with a full beard. At this moment, his face was full of anger, and he roared, "The Prime Minister is wrong!"

Currently, the military forces of our Great Song Dynasty are scattered. If troops are hastily mobilized, it will not only be difficult to quickly assemble them into a powerful fighting force, but it will also lead to weak defenses in various places, giving the enemy an opportunity to take advantage.

Moreover, Sichuan has a strategically important and rugged terrain, with numerous mountains and rivers, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. We should make full use of this geographical advantage, deploying heavy troops at various passes and key routes to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, wage a protracted war, and wear down the Ming army.

Just as the ministers were arguing and each held their own opinion, Cheng Yi slowly stepped out of the ranks. His eyes were deep and his voice was low but firm: "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, while military confrontation is important, diplomatic means should not be ignored."

We can send eloquent envoys with generous gifts to neighboring countries to persuade them to send troops to help us.

If all forces can be united to fight against the Ming army, perhaps the situation can be reversed.

Zhao Xu sat on the dragon throne, his brows furrowed, listening to the ministers' heated debate, but feeling increasingly lost and helpless.

He knew that no matter what strategy was used, it would be difficult to fundamentally change the Song Dynasty's military disadvantage.

Prior to this, they had reached an alliance with the Liao Kingdom, allowing the Liao Kingdom to deploy a large number of troops in the Hetao region. However, the rebels resolutely marched south to attack Sichuan. Even the powerful Liao Kingdom could not slow down the advance of the Ming army. What role could other forces play?
But for now, he has no choice but to temporarily adopt everyone's suggestions and try to take multiple measures to turn the tide.

Therefore, the Song Dynasty court urgently mobilized troops from various regions and made a difficult march towards the border of Shu.

However, due to long-term weakness and laxity, the army's discipline was lax, the soldiers' morale was low, and the marching speed was extremely slow.

Along the way, the soldiers complained bitterly, filled with fear and resistance towards this war with an unknown outcome.

At the same time, in order to raise funds for the army, the imperial court had to increase the collection of taxes, which made the already impoverished people suffer even more, and public discontent was boiling, further intensifying social conflicts.

On the border of Shu, Song generals hurriedly organized their troops to repair defensive fortifications.

They set up checkpoints in strategic locations, piled up huge stones, and erected barricades, attempting to build a solid defensive line.

However, these hastily constructed fortifications proved to be extremely vulnerable in the face of the experienced and well-equipped Ming army.

Moreover, due to insufficient troops and numerous gaps in the defenses, Song soldiers were forced to constantly fill gaps, leading to a decline in morale.

Meanwhile, the envoys dispatched by the Song Dynasty embarked on a difficult diplomatic journey.

Clinging to their last hope, they shuttled between various factions, trying to persuade the monarchs of different countries to send troops to help them.

However, by this time, the surrounding powers had already seen the weakness of the Song Dynasty. They were either afraid of the Ming army's strength or had their own ulterior motives, so they mostly gave perfunctory replies to the Song Dynasty's requests.

Some outwardly agreed to consider it, but in reality remained inactive;
Some refused outright, unwilling to get involved in a war that could bring them annihilation.

As time went on, the Ming army's offensive became increasingly fierce.

Like a surging tide, they swiftly broke through the Song army's defenses along the border.

Although the Song soldiers fought desperately, they were ultimately unable to withstand the overwhelming military pressure from the Ming army and fled in disarray.

Within a month, large swathes of land in Shu fell one after another, the Song army suffered heavy casualties, and the situation became increasingly critical.

Faced with such a desperate situation, the internal contradictions within the Song Dynasty court became increasingly acute.

The ministers blamed each other and shirked responsibility, creating chaos in the court.

Zhao Xu was exhausted, yet powerless to reverse the situation.

In this turbulent time, some ministers even began to secretly plan their escape route and look for a way out for their future.

By January of the second year of the Hongwu reign, Chengdu Prefecture had finally fallen under the powerful offensive of the Ming army, and the last resistance of the Song Dynasty had failed.

When the Ming army marched into Chengdu, the city was deathly silent, and the people looked on in despair.

The once prosperous city is now a scene of devastation, with traces of war everywhere.

Upon hearing the news of Chengdu's fall, Zhao Xu collapsed onto the dragon throne, his eyes filled with despair and regret.

He knew all too well that the Song Dynasty was already teetering on the brink of collapse in this war, and that it might soon be completely destroyed in the long river of history.

Thus, starting from November of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, when Emperor Taizu Su Yun launched his campaign against Sichuan, the Ming army marched from Shaanxi towards Sichuan.

In the first month of the second year of the Hongwu reign, Chengdu submitted a petition to surrender, and the Ming army entered Chengdu Prefecture. The entire process took two months, and the Ming Dynasty basically occupied the Sichuan region!
Before the last snow of January in the second year of the Hongwu reign had melted, Su Yun's Ming army had already traversed the icy roads of Shu and entered Chengdu Prefecture.

This two-month-long campaign to conquer Sichuan, though seemingly a swift victory, actually aligns with the hidden logic of dynastic changes in Chinese history—since the Qin and Han dynasties, whoever controls Sichuan controls half of the country, and this is no exaggeration.

From Liu Bang's conquest of Bashu and his slaying of Xiang Yu, to Li Yuan's pacification of Shu to secure Guanzhong, and then to Emperor Taizu of Song's sixty-day conquest of Later Shu, Sichuan, known as the "Land of Abundance," has always been the most crucial "live eye" in the grand scheme of things.

In 206 BC, Liu Bang was enfeoffed as the King of Han, and was given control of Hanzhong and the lands of Bashu.

At that time, Xiang Yu enfeoffed the princes, seemingly banishing Liu Bang to the remote Shu region. However, he did not expect that this fertile land surrounded by the Qinling and Daba Mountains would become the foundation for the rise of the Han army.

The soil in Sichuan is fertile, producing abundant fruits, and people are full even without grain. The Dujiangyan irrigation system in the Chengdu Plain has been operating for hundreds of years, and its grain production is the highest in the world.

Liu Bang ordered Xiao He to pacify Ba and Shu, "collecting taxes from Ba and Shu and providing food for the army." In just four years, he launched an expedition from Hanzhong, using the food supplies from Ba and Shu to support the decisive battle at Gaixia, ultimately laying the foundation for the Han Dynasty's four-hundred-year reign.

Su Yun's Ming army's entry into Shu was exactly the same strategy as Liu Bang's.

When his iron cavalry crossed Jianmen Pass, he was attracted not only by the natural barrier of the Shu Road, but also by the rice of the Chengdu Plain that yielded a "double harvest every year," the well salt that benefited the world, and the handicrafts that produced a great number of skilled craftsmen.

The logic is the same: when the country was in chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, although Li Yuan and his son first pacified Guanzhong, they always regarded Sichuan as an important rear base.

In 618 AD, Li Yuan sent Li Xiaogong, the younger brother of Li Shimin, to conquer Bashu, "opening up the strategic passes of Bashu and connecting the fords of Jingchu".

Sichuan's value became even more apparent during the An Lushan Rebellion—Emperor Xuanzong of Tang fled to Sichuan to escape the chaos, and relying on the geographical barrier of "the road to Sichuan is difficult, more difficult than ascending to heaven," he was able to rebuild the court in Chengdu and command the people to serve the emperor.

At that time, Sichuan was not only a refuge but also a source of soldiers for suppressing rebellions; "the army of Jiannan was the best in the world."

Su Yun faced a situation similar to that of the Tang Dynasty: when he marched south from Shaanxi, Sichuan's strategic location, with its four natural barriers, allowed him to both defend against a Song Dynasty counterattack and serve as a springboard for advancing into Huguang and Lingnan. After the Ming army occupied Chengdu, as long as they repaired the Dujiangyan Irrigation System and dredged the Minjiang River waterway, they could transport supplies from Sichuan to the front lines via the Yangtze River system, which was no different from the Tang Dynasty's strategy of "using Sichuan's wealth to support the nation."

As the Tang people said, "Shu is the treasure trove of the country, and all the world's precious goods are gathered here." Su Yun also understood this well and set up the "Military Supplies Transport Commissioner" in Chengdu to continuously transport strategic materials such as Shu brocade, well salt, and ironware to the front line.

Standing atop the city gate tower of the Chengdu Prefectural Government, Su Yun gazed at the busy canal fleet along the Jinjiang River and nodded in satisfaction.

This conquest of Sichuan is not only a military victory, but also a strategic breakthrough—this land once nurtured the mystery of the ancient Shu Kingdom, the resilience of the Shu Han regime, and the prosperity of the Later Shu Dynasty, and will now become the cornerstone of his "unification of China".

When the Ming army marched down the Yangtze River from Sichuan, the grain, weapons, and soldiers from Shu (Sichuan) flowed into the body of the war of unification like blood vessels, forming the cornerstone of the "great unification" of China!
History always repeats itself: Liu Bang conquered the country after leaving Shu, Li Yuan protected Shu and extended the dynasty's life, and Zhao Kuangyin pacified Shu and pacified the south.

Su Yun's Hongwu expedition to Shu was just another repetition of this historical pattern.

Sichuan, a land described by Zhuge Liang as "a fertile plain stretching for thousands of miles, a land of abundance," ultimately became the "foundation of royal achievements" for powerful rulers throughout history, thanks to its unique geographical endowments and economic strength.

When the Ming army's flag was planted atop the walls of Chengdu, the seeds of a new unified dynasty had already been sown in the fertile land of the Land of Abundance.

On the fifteenth day of the first month of the second year of Hongwu, before the lanterns of the Lantern Festival in Chengdu Prefecture had been extinguished, Su Yun had already laid out a map of the Shu region in the Xuanzheng Hall of the former Later Shu imperial palace.

The hall was brightly lit by candlelight, illuminating the piles of documents on his desk—on the left was a list of land in Sichuan submitted by the Ministry of Revenue, on the right was a map of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System drawn by the Ministry of Works, and in the middle was a secret letter that had just been sent from Shaanxi, with the words “The Liao army is holding back in the Hetao region” written on the still-wet ink.

“Sir,” Wang Baopu bowed as he entered, carrying a stack of account books, “the Chengdu treasury has been inventoried. There are 30,000 shi of official grain remaining from the original Song Dynasty, but…”

He paused, then turned to the last page of the account book, “but the accounts of the ‘green seed money’ that were embezzled by officials over the years are more than three inches thick.”

Su Yun traced the Yangtze River waterway on the map with his fingertip, without even raising his head: "Make a list of officials who embezzled money and grain. The ringleaders should be beheaded, and the followers should be exiled."

"Furthermore," he pointed to Jiaozhou on the map, "the salt well workshops there will be directly managed by the military government from this day forward. Half of the salt produced will be sold to the people at a price, and the other half..."

He suddenly stopped, looked up at Wang Baopu, and asked, "Do you remember how many warhorses we traded for Shu brocade before?"

Wang Baopu grinned: "How could I forget! One Akhal-Teke horse for three bolts of Shu brocade, the Uyghur caravan leader's eyes were green with envy!"

“Then let’s trade well salt for warhorses.” Su Yun slammed his vermilion brush heavily on the map. “Send people to the Tibetan and Uyghur territories and tell them that the Ming Dynasty has plenty of salt, but they must trade it for fine horses.”

Although we have a considerable number of horses from the Hetao region, it's still not enough. The Ming Dynasty needs a much larger cavalry force. Next, we not only have to deal with the Liao and Song dynasties, but after we destroy them, we must also conquer Tibet!

He recalled the salt wells he had seen in Meishan when he was a child, where dark brine boiled down to snow-white salt grains, which were a currency more valuable than gold and silver.

At this moment, the military advisor entered carrying a roll of yellow silk: "Your Majesty, this is the 'Ten Articles of New Policies for Shu' that you ordered to be drafted. Please take a look."

Su Yun unfolded the yellow silk, the candlelight illuminating the vermilion annotations on it:
The land was measured and exempted from tax for three years: modeled after the "one-fifteenth tax" of the early Han Dynasty, but exempted from tax for the first three years, with only one-tenth of the "military grain" tax levied.

Dredging the Dujiangyan Irrigation System restored tens of thousands of acres of fertile land; the "Dushuijian" (Water Conservancy Bureau) was established, and laborers were conscripted to provide work relief, with one liter of millet given daily.
The Tea and Horse Bureau was abolished, and private trade was permitted: the Song Dynasty's monopoly was broken, and tea merchants were allowed to trade freely with "trade permits";
Establish "Benefit the People Kiln" to produce affordable porcelain: Take over the Meishan kiln to the government, and except for tribute items, mass-produce coarse porcelain bowls and plates, each selling for only five copper coins.

Suppressing bandits and ensuring smooth trade routes: Commander Ke Shi was stationed at Jianmen Pass, and any merchant or traveler robbed would be implicated and the garrison commander would be held jointly liable.

"Good!" Su Yun slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his gaze sweeping over the remaining carvings of the Later Shu dynasty on the pillars in the hall. "Issue my decree: Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), publicly burn the 'Green Sprouts Money' ledgers of the Great Song dynasty in front of the Chengdu government office, and then open the granaries to distribute grain for three days."

Furthermore,” he looked at Wang Baopu, “all the land in Chengdu that has been annexed should be distributed to the landless disaster victims, and the land deeds should be inscribed with the words ‘bestowed in the second year of Hongwu’.”

Wang Baopu was surprised to hear this and said, "Execute it now? Aren't you afraid of opposition from the gentry?"

Su Yun placed the cinnabar brush on the brush holder, the candlelight making the bloodshot veins in his eyes particularly clear.

He walked to the huge "Fish Scale Map of Sichuan Fields" inside the hall, his fingertips tracing the fertile land circled in red ink on the map—these were estates annexed by the nobles of the Song Dynasty and the gentry of Sichuan, occupying more than half of the arable land in the Chengdu Plain.

“Shouzhen knows,” Su Yun’s voice echoed in the empty hall, “Why did Liu Bang establish the ‘Three Laws’ when he entered Guanzhong?”
It wasn't that he didn't want to implement harsh policies, but rather that he knew the will of the people was more powerful than weapons in securing the country.

He turned around, his gaze falling on the account book in Wang Baopu's hand. "The Song Dynasty's 'Green Sprouts Tax' has driven the people to the brink of despair, while those gentry hoard tens of thousands of acres of fertile land and even embezzle disaster relief grain—can such a foundation be stable?"

Wang Baopu gripped the account book tightly, the parchment rustling softly: "Sir, I am not against the equal distribution of land, but the army has just pacified Sichuan, and Jiangnan is still unsettled. The Liao people are eyeing us covetously. If we were to touch the very foundation of the gentry at this time..."

He recalled seeing several old scholars shaking their heads and sighing at the new policy notice on the streets of Chengdu three days ago. "Many of the gentry and powerful families in Sichuan have marriage ties with the scholars and officials in Jiangnan. If they jointly submit a memorial saying that you are 'seizing the property of the rich to flatter the poor,' it may be detrimental to public opinion."

"Public opinion?" Su Yun suddenly laughed, walked to the window and pushed open the carved wooden window. The night wind blew the hem of his black robe. "Shouzhen, do you still remember those people who knelt by the roadside offering cattle and wine when the army entered Chengdu?"

He pointed out the window to the twinkling lights along the Jinjiang River, saying, "Public opinion is the best form of public opinion."

The military advisor whispered, "Your Majesty, General Wang Shunchen has sent an urgent report from Jianmen Pass, saying that the remnants of the Song Dynasty are gathering in Jinghu, and seem to be trying to unite with the gentry of Jiangnan..."

“Perfect timing.” Su Yun interrupted him. “Tell General Wang to send the secret letter from the Song Dynasty to instigate the gentry, along with evidence of the gentry’s collusion with the enemy, to Chengdu.”

"Sir, you want to..." "I want to set a 'land restriction order'."

Su Yun returned to his desk, picked up a wolf-hair brush, and dipped it heavily in vermilion ink. "For gentry families, land ownership shall not exceed one hundred hectares. Any excess land shall be redeemed by the government and distributed to landless disaster victims. The redemption money…"

He pointed to the amount embezzled by corrupt officials in the ledger, saying, "It's the amount of property confiscated from corrupt officials, plus the profits from the salt monopoly."

“This…” Wang Baopu gasped, “The limit of a hundred acres is likely to affect even the powerful families of Jiangnan.”

"That's why we need to try it out in Sichuan first." Su Yun's pen flew across the yellow silk, writing the words "Edict on Equal Land Distribution in the Second Year of Hongwu".

"Sichuan is the land of abundance. If the people here can all be allocated land, what will the people in Jiangnan think?"
What would the Han people in the Liao-occupied areas think?
My mother said before she passed away, "The land is the lifeblood of the people."

"I have conquered this land not so that new powerful figures could ride roughshod over the people, but so that those who till the land may own it."

Suddenly, the sound of a watchman striking his clapper came from outside the palace; it was already the fourth watch.

Su Yun walked to the map and drew a wavy line at the border of Sichuan and Huguang with a vermilion pen: "Shouzhen, look, the Yangtze River flows from Sichuan to Jiangnan, like a blood vessel. The seeds of equal land distribution that we planted in Sichuan will drift along the river to Jiangnan and to the Liao-occupied areas."

Once the common people know that they can cultivate land by following the Ming Dynasty, for whom will the armies of the Song and Liao Dynasties fight?

Looking at the determination in Su Yun's eyes, Wang Baopu suddenly recalled the "rest and recuperation" of the early Han Dynasty and the "equal-field system" of the early Tang Dynasty—those emperors who created prosperous eras all prioritized consolidating the foundation of the people.

He bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I will go and draft the detailed rules of the 'Land Limitation Order' immediately, and make clear the clauses on 'official redemption of private land' and 'land to the tiller'."

“We need to add one more clause.” Su Yun looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky, “All people who have been allocated land must contribute men to the army in proportion to the land area, serving as soldiers in wartime and farmers in peacetime.”

This way, they won both popular support and a source of soldiers.

Peach blossoms bloom in March.

The people of Chengdu have begun to sing a new folk song: "Lord Hongwu, you distributed the land, one mu of land, three sheng of rice, the officials did not rob the people, the people are happy..."

The song drifted away with the Jinjiang River.

(End of this chapter)