The imperial cause at the end of the Han Dynasty was not one of partial peace.

Chapter 87 Developing Jiangnan: No Uncultivated Land

After the joyous New Year's Day, it's time for the most important spring plowing season of the year.

Changsha is located in southern Jingzhou, with a mild climate, and spring plowing begins much earlier than in the Central Plains.

Just after the Lantern Festival, the fields along both banks of the Xiang River are already bustling with farmers helping with planting and oxen plowing everywhere.

Guo Yuan, who was in charge of the spring plowing plan, lived up to Liu Bei's expectations. He not only brought the system of encouraging agriculture and sericulture from Mount Tai to Changsha, but also combined it with the unique climate and soil of Jingnan to formulate a set of spring plowing plans for Changsha.

In particular, he combined the essential methods of rice cultivation from "Fan Shengzhi's Book" and "The Monthly Ordinances for the Four Classes of People," compiled them into a book, and distributed it to various counties and townships.

The Book of Fan Shengzhi is a classic of agricultural science, which records in detail the methods of seed selection, seed soaking, seedling raising, transplanting, irrigation, and fertilization.

Among them, the "divided field method" is the most ingenious. It divides the fields into several small plots, concentrates fertilization and irrigation, which can save water and increase production.

Guo Yuan also combined the experience of local farmers in Changsha and made some modifications to the methods in the book to suit the local climate and soil of Chu.

The officials in charge of the fields went to various counties and personally went down to the fields to teach the people how to soak seeds and cultivate seedlings, when to transplant them, and how to irrigate and fertilize them.

The elderly farmers of Changsha, who had cultivated the land for generations but knew nothing of improvement methods, had never seen such sophisticated agricultural techniques before. They were all amazed.

By February, when spring is in full bloom, willow branches along the banks of the Xiangjiang River sprout new buds, and the fields are bustling with activity.

Liu Bei rode his horse to inspect the fields of Luo County. He saw that the tender green rice seedlings had broken through the soil and densely covered the entire paddy field, looking as green as brocade.

Farmers, wearing straw hats and with their trousers rolled up, worked barefoot in the paddy fields. Some drove oxen and held plows to cultivate the newly reclaimed wasteland, while others bent over to plant rice seedlings, all full of enthusiasm for their work.

Liu Bei halted his horse at the edge of the field and turned to Guo Yuan, saying, "Zini, you are truly a capable minister of state. You have ensured that the people can live in peace and prosperity, and that there is no uncultivated land. This year, Changsha will surely have a bountiful harvest, with abundant rice!"

Guo Yuan cupped his hands and said, "I was merely fulfilling my duty; I dare not accept such high praise from the Prefect. Changsha is blessed with abundant water and heat, allowing for two rice harvests a year—a true blessing from heaven."

"In the past, most people followed the old methods and did not know the techniques of soaking seeds and cultivating seedlings. They often directly sowed rice seeds in the fields, resulting in uneven seedling emergence and a greatly reduced harvest."

"Now, Tian Cao has combined the methods recorded in Fan Shengzhi's Book of the Former Han Dynasty with local agricultural practices in Jingnan and promoted them in various counties."

The book "Fan Shengzhi" states: "When planting rice, plow the soil after the spring thaw." It also states: "The soil in the field is good because of the smell of manure, not necessarily because it is fertile." With these two methods implemented, the yield of rice in Changsha can be expected to be more than three shi per mu.

"Jingnan has abundant water and heat. If it is supplemented with the method of dividing the land into sections, concentrated fertilization, and intensive cultivation, even the lowest fields can be transformed into fertile soil."

Liu Bei laughed heartily, "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! With the method of dividing the land and the benefits of fertilization, why worry about a poor harvest in Changsha this year?"

Liu Bei then pointed to the people who were still cultivating the wasteland. They drove oxen to plow deeply, turning the barren land covered with weeds into flat fields, full of energy and hope.

He said excitedly, "I see that the people are very enthusiastic about land reclamation, and the Land Administration Office must provide them with good support. Issue my decree to all villages and towns in the thirteen counties of the prefecture, and exempt all newly reclaimed wasteland, whether paddy fields or dry land, from land tax for three years. After three years, the tax will be levied at one-fifteenth of the usual amount."

"The county land officials must register each household and verify the number of newly reclaimed fields. No false reporting or fraudulent claims are allowed, and no omissions are permitted. If any powerful or influential person is found to have fraudulently reclaimed land or secretly occupied fields, they will be severely punished without exception."

This decree seems to indicate that Liu Bei is still suppressing mergers and cracking down on powerful clans.

That's not actually the case. The powerful figures may be bad, but they're not weak.

Developing the Jiangnan region by relying on self-sufficient, weather-dependent farmers is certainly not enough.

Historically, it was thanks to those powerful and influential families during the Jin Dynasty that the Jiangnan region was developed into a fertile land.

If Liu Bei wanted to develop Changsha, he still had to rely on these powerful clans and families.

They have the funds, the manpower, and the technology, making them the main force in land reclamation.

Upon hearing this, Guo Yuan stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Since the Prefect took charge of Changsha and pacified Qu Xing, the prefecture has been peaceful, bandits have disappeared, and the people all know that Changsha will usher in a period of peace, so they are all engaged in production with peace of mind."

"In previous years, farmers would just go through the motions of spring planting, fearing that their hard work would be plundered by powerful figures or bandits. This year is very different. The Prefect has exempted the people from taxes for half a year, and the people are eager to plant the barren land and stockpile grain."

He spurred his horse and led Liu Bei north along the Xiang River, continuing, "As for powerful clans, the Prefect has used an iron fist to suppress their annexations and investigated hidden lands, so they no longer dare to recklessly seize the property of ordinary people."

"However, the Prefect was not like the cruel officials of the Former Han Dynasty who seized all their land and cut off their livelihoods. Instead, he made an exception and did not establish a land system. Powerful families had guests and servants, as well as cattle, horses and farm tools. If they did not cultivate the wasteland, wouldn't all their manpower and resources be wasted?"

Therefore, all the major families turned their attention to the vast, desolate marshland on the shores of Dongting Lake.

Liu Bei nodded slightly. The policy of not establishing a land system had been the national policy of the Central Plains dynasties since the Eastern Han Dynasty. Except for a brief period when the Five Barbarian Invasions brought about the equal land distribution system, the unified dynasties such as the Song and Ming basically allowed land circulation and encouraged the people to cultivate wasteland.

Since Liu Bei intended to implement a system of taxation based on acreage, he naturally wouldn't impose strict restrictions, limiting each household to a certain number of acres and prohibiting land transfers.

Of course, it is still necessary to curb malicious mergers.

This is the classic question: development is necessary, but fairness must also be taken into account.

For a nation to develop, it needs to rely on powerful families and landlords. They have resources, technology, and manpower, which can help the nation achieve a state where there is no uncultivated land, agriculture is thriving, and water conservancy is prosperous.

However, if a country wants peace, it must also take into account the self-sufficient farmers at the bottom of society. No dynasty has ever achieved long-term stability when social injustice is widening and the strong bully the weak.

How to balance these two aspects is a test of the ruler's and ministers' abilities. Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; it cannot be rushed, nor can it be delayed.

As Liu Bei was thinking, the group had already traveled more than ten miles when the view suddenly opened up before them!

The vast expanse of Dongting Lake, once a desolate marshland overgrown with reeds and inhabited by wild ducks, is now crisscrossed with fields, the newly turned soil is dark and shiny, and newly dug ditches bring lake water into the fields.

From afar, dozens of oxen were working in the fields, while hundreds of guests were building ponds and digging ditches. The shouts of workers ramming earth and building embankments rose and fell, creating a scene of bustling activity.

Guo Yuan pointed to the newly reclaimed fertile field and said with a smile, "Your Excellency, please take a look. This is the land reclaimed by the Kou family of Luo County. After Your Excellency entered Changsha, Kou Yuan was the first to respond. Apart from a group of guests who stayed in the mountains to smelt iron, another group came to this place by Dongting Lake to reclaim wasteland."

"Yuan specifically checked the land records and found that since last winter, the Kou family has reclaimed nearly a hundred hectares of land around the lake, built two ponds, dug more than ten miles of ditches, and entertained no less than three hundred guests, as well as dozens of cattle and horses."

"What's even more remarkable is that the Kou family started out in iron smelting, and the craftsmen in the clan were highly skilled. Even the plowshares, hoes, and sickles used for land reclamation were cast in their own ironworks. They were sharp and easy to use, far superior to ordinary farm tools. Other powerful families saw the Kou family's large-scale land reclamation and followed suit, fearing that they would fall behind."

Liu Bei reined in his horse and gazed at the newly reclaimed fertile fields. He saw Kou's guests driving oxen to plow the fields deeply. As the iron plows passed, barren fields were transformed into flat, fertile land.

In the distance, by the pond, several craftsmen are installing waterwheels. The ingenious waterwheels can draw water into the fields on their own.

Liu Bei smiled slightly; this was exactly what he wanted. The government didn't spend a single penny, yet powerful local figures vied to help him reclaim the wasteland. In time, this barren marshland would surely be transformed into vast tracts of fertile land, and the wealth of Changsha alone would be enough to support tens of thousands of soldiers.

Liu Bei then exclaimed, "It was not in vain that I recommended Kou Yuan as a candidate for the civil service examination. He is indeed quite talented, and his vision is also quite unique. If he cultivates wasteland and builds a manor on the shores of Dongting Lake, he will surely become the richest man in the region sooner or later."

Guo Yuan nodded and smiled, "What the Prefect says is absolutely right. Although Kou is in Luo County, he has his sights set on Dongting Lake, which shows his unique insight."

"During the New Year's Day holiday this year, Kou Yuan visited with New Year's gifts. He spoke with Yuan about the prospects of land reclamation, full of vigor and ambition, saying that he wanted to emulate the story of the Fan family of Nanyang in the Former Han Dynasty—to develop property, expand fields and houses, build dwellings, dig ponds, and dredge ditches." This fertile land along the shores of Dongting Lake stretches for thousands of miles. If managed properly, within a few years, the Kou family will surely establish a firm foothold and become a prominent family in the prefecture.

Then he pointed to a newly built pavilion on the lakeside: "Your Excellency, please look, that is the Yanbo Pavilion built by the Kou family. The pavilion is three zhang high and is built by the lake. From the pavilion, one can look out over the vast expanse of Dongting Lake and overlook the newly reclaimed fertile fields all around."

"Kou Yuan built this pavilion not only to enjoy the scenery of the lake and mountains, but also to demonstrate the Kou family's determination to take root in Dongting and manage the area for generations. Judging from his actions, this man had a grand vision and was not comparable to ordinary heroes."

Liu Bei looked in the direction he pointed and saw a brand-new pavilion standing majestically on a high hill by the lake, with upturned eaves, red pillars and green tiles, complementing the scenery of the lake and mountains.

He nodded slightly and said with emotion, "Starting with iron smelting and developing businesses through land reclamation is indeed in line with the family tradition of powerful families who acquire wealth through secondary means and preserve it through fundamental ones."

"Let's go over and see what good methods the Kou family has, and then we can promote them throughout the county."

Kou Yuan is now considered one of Liu Bei's protégés. Changsha is a large prefecture with a population of 760,000, and it was just short of being able to recommend four people for the civil service examination each year.

At the end of last year, Liu Bei recommended three people for the civil service examination, one of whom was Gu Yong, a close confidant of his. Liu Bei recommended Gu Yong because of his dedication to serving his respected teacher, traveling thousands of miles without complaint.

The other was Liu Chen, son of the Liu family of Changsha. This was done to win over the powerful local clans of Changsha. After all, the Liu family was the largest and most powerful clan in Changsha, and they were also descendants of the imperial clan. It was only right to give them a title of "filial piety and incorruptibility".

Liu Bei's reforms last year greatly affected the interests of powerful clans, causing unrest among the people and hinting at a potential rebellion.

The Liu family of Changsha is a prominent clan, and many people are watching how they will act. If the Liu family were to raise their arms and call for action, many powerful figures would surely follow suit.

However, Liu chose to remain calm and did not vehemently resist Liu Bei's edict.

It should be noted that the Liu family were descendants of the Prince of Changsha, and their clan was prosperous, with branches spreading throughout the entire prefecture.

The position of pavilion chief alone had thirteen members from the Liu family in charge—almost every county had one member from the Liu family in charge of the pavilion administration.

Among those who traveled to Wei, there were also eight members of the Liu family.

In addition, there were more than ten other people, including county officials, village assistants, and tax collectors.

Under Liu Bei's decree to abolish the pavilions, these thirteen pavilion chiefs lost their positions overnight.

The power of local officials was taken away, and many patrolmen and tax collectors were also dismissed.

In addition, Liu Bei's investigation of household registrations and land surveys uncovered hundreds of acres of land that the Liu family had concealed, which, according to the new law, were subject to taxation per acre.

With this inflow and outflow, the Liu family suffered considerable losses.

This explains why reforms in all dynasties have faced enormous resistance and were difficult to implement once they touched upon the interests of powerful clans.

This policy reform will truly and tangibly affect the interests of countless wealthy families.

The Liu family was just one powerful clan in Changsha; there were countless other powerful clans with deep roots in the region.

Liu Bei's reforms last year, which supposedly dismissed three hundred village chiefs overnight and destroyed the foundations of countless powerful clans in an instant, were definitely not an exaggeration.

It is precisely because they are living in a chaotic world and Liu Bei has a strong and capable army that these powerful figures have no choice but to swallow their anger.

If they were living in peaceful times, it would be absolutely impossible for them not to fiercely resist and fight to the bitter end.

This is precisely why the Changsha Liu clan's choice to acquiesce to Liu Bei's policies and not lead the people in resistance is all the more commendable.

Liu Bei reciprocated by recommending their clan's eldest son as a candidate for the civil service examination.

For Liu, exchanging dozens of village officials and soldiers for a single incorruptible official and a position with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), was a trade-off between gaining and losing power.

Besides these two meritorious and hardworking candidates, the third was Kou Yuan.

Liu Bei wanted to develop industry and commerce in Changsha, where the fertile land made agriculture extremely prosperous.

When the people can fill their stomachs, a large number of people are freed up to enter the city and become artisans. The more than 4,000 households and more than 50,000 people in Linxiang City are proof of this.

Developing industry and commerce was precisely the time when the Kou and Zhen families could contribute.

When the group arrived at Yanbo Pavilion, Kou Yuan, who had already received the news, led the elders of the clan to greet them outside the pavilion.

Today he was dressed in an indigo robe and had a short sword at his waist. Although he came from a powerful family, he had a rather refined air about him.

Upon seeing Liu Bei, he quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply to the ground: "This humble subject, Kou Yuan, pays his respects to Your Excellency. I was unaware of Your Excellency's arrival and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me."

Liu Bei dismounted and helped Kou Yuan up with both hands, laughing, "Yuanlang, there's no need for such formalities. Today, during my spring inspection tour, I came here to see the great achievements of your Kou family in reclaiming wasteland. Your Yanbo Pavilion is well-built—it offers a panoramic view of the lake and mountains, as well as a view of the fertile fields. Only someone with a broad mind could have such a vision."

After a few polite words of refusal, Kou Yuan led Liu Bei and his entourage to the pavilion. The pavilion was three zhang high, built over the lake, and sheltered from the winds from all directions. Leaning on the railing, one could see the vast expanse of Dongting Lake, where the water and sky merged into one.

Looking down, the newly reclaimed fertile fields are crisscrossed with paths and ditches, with oxen plowing back and forth and guests bustling about, creating a vibrant scene.

Liu Bei stood leaning on the railing and said to Kou Yuan, "Yuanlang, your land reclamation this year has been quite successful. Do you have any good methods you could share with everyone?"

Kou Yuan, slightly modest, said, "I dare not call it a superior method. It's just that in my spare time from iron smelting, I apply the craftsmanship of artisans to agriculture. The plowshares, hoes, and sickles are all forged by myself, sharp and easy to use. I also apply the methods of iron smelting and charcoal making to land reclamation—by cutting down reeds and burning them on the spot, the ashes become fertilizer. In this way, barren land can be quickly transformed into fertile fields."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei smiled, becoming even more certain that Changsha's industry and commerce would surely prosper.

If we say that human technology ultimately boils down to burning boilers...

Almost all the skills and crafts in the Central Plains were based on burning wood ash.

Whether it's agriculture and medicine, textile printing and dyeing, porcelain glaze protection, or even city wall forging, adding wood ash can transform decay into something magical.

Liu Bei leaned on the railing and gazed for a moment at the newly reclaimed farmland by the lake. He then asked Kou Yuan with concern, "Yuanlang, since your Kou family is engaged in both iron smelting and forging, as well as farming, do you have enough manpower? The spring planting season is fleeting, so don't miss the farming time."

Kou Yuan cupped his hands and replied, "Your Excellency's concerns are quite valid. Although there are many guests in the clan, the iron smelting industry cannot be stopped for even a day, and the spring plowing cannot be delayed for even a moment. Manpower is indeed in short supply. To solve this problem, the clan has acquired many machines to replace manpower with ingenuity and to make up for the lack of manpower with oxen."

He paused, pointed to the oxen working in the fields by the lake, and continued, "For example, in the past, plowing relied entirely on human labor, with each person only able to plow one or two acres a day; now, the clan uses oxen to pull plows, and one ox can plow more than ten acres a day, which is ten times more efficient than human labor. These plows are even produced by my Kou family, and the only cost is to feed them a few more bushels of beans."

"Take the rice-planting machine, for example, which came from Jiangdong. It is shaped like a small boat with a flat bottom, so it can glide on the muddy surface of the paddy field. People ride on it and push off with their feet to move freely in the field without bending over. They can plant rice seedlings with their hands. One person can plant several acres of rice seedlings a day, which is twice as efficient as bending over to plant rice seedlings."

Liu Bei immediately became interested and led Guo Yuan, Kou Yuan, and others down the field ridge and along the field edge.

Then one could see dozens of guests bending over and working in the paddy field. Several of them were sitting on a small wooden frame, using both hands to quickly insert the rice seedlings next to them into the mud, at a speed several times faster than those bending over.

Liu Bei asked, "Is this the Yangma?"

Guo Yuan was also quite intrigued. He stepped forward and examined it for a moment, then said, "I have never seen such exquisite craftsmanship in the Central Plains."

Seeing that Liu Bei was interested, Kou Yuan immediately beckoned to a guest riding a rice-planting horse and asked him to push the horse to the edge of the paddy field.

Liu Bei bent down and examined it closely for a moment, discovering that although it was a new item, its construction was actually extremely simple: a piece of light wood with a slightly upturned front end, shaped like a small boat. There was a bamboo basket on each side, used to hold rice seedlings.

How simple is its design? Liu Bei felt he could make it himself just by looking at it. It was probably a hundred times simpler than shipbuilding.

But this simple machine has greatly increased the efficiency of farmers' farming.

"Yuen Long's ability to replace manpower with ingenuity, make up for deficiencies with oxen, and increase efficiency with effective methods truly demonstrates its business acumen."

Liu Bei praised it, then turned to Guo Yuan and said, "This rice seedling machine may be a small thing, but it is full of ingenuity. Changsha has vast paddy fields. If it can be widely used, it will not only save the labor of the people, but also double the amount of farmland, making the land abundant and the people prosperous."

"The government ordered the prefecture to use funds from its treasury to purchase plows and seedlings, and to lend them to the people. Those who could reclaim up to ten acres of wasteland would have their land rent waived, and the plows and seedlings they had lent out would be given to them."

Guo Yuan looked slightly troubled and said, "The prefectural treasury is also short of funds, and we are already struggling to support the army. We really cannot afford to purchase several thousand more plows and seedlings."

Liu Bei calmly smiled and said, "It's alright. Supporting soldiers doesn't mean paying them their entire year's salary all at once. We'll use the remaining salary for production first."

"As for matters of money, grain, and taxes, I have my own regulations."

Seeing that his lord had a plan, Guo Yuan bowed and agreed, and began to discuss with the Kou family's accountant about purchasing Kou family's farming equipment.

Upon hearing of Guo Yuan's predicament, Kou Yuan cupped his hands and said, "My lord, the high cost of plows is indeed a fact. A single plow costs at least five thousand coins and as much as eight thousand coins."

"A single ox costs around eight thousand coins. In years of famine, oxen are extremely rare and can fetch over ten thousand coins. An ox used for both plowing and oxen costs anywhere from thirteen thousand to eighteen thousand coins."

"Ordinary farmers have only a few dozen acres of poor land. After deducting food and taxes, they can only have a few bushels left over in a year. If they want to save up 10,000 coins to buy cattle, it would take several years. Therefore, most people are unable to afford to buy cattle themselves and can only borrow cattle from powerful families and repay the debt with their labor."

"Yuan believed that this problem stemmed from the famine among the people, where scarcity made things valuable."

Liu Bei nodded slightly. If it weren't for the Han Dynasty classics such as the Juyan Han Bamboo Slips and the Discourses on Salt and Iron, he would hardly believe that the price of oxen and plows was so high. A single plowshare cost five thousand coins, and a single ox cost eight thousand coins, which together represented the entire output of dozens of acres of land for a year.

It's no wonder that the ancients often used the phrase "combining the strengths of oxen and oxen" to describe the heavy burden of agricultural work; this was by no means an exaggeration, but rather a genuine reflection of the hardships faced by the people.

"And this is precisely what I wish to discuss with you," Liu Bei said slowly, standing with his hands behind his back by the lake, gazing at the newly cultivated fertile field. "The high price of these molds is not due to their craftsmanship, but rather to their rarity. A craftsman spends several days forging a single mold; a calf is raised for several years before it is ready for use. If only a few dozen molds are produced in a year, how can their price not be high?"

Then he said excitedly, "I have heard the ancients say that there is no stability without agriculture and no wealth without industry. Industry is the best way to create wealth."

"A few craftsmen, smelting iron and forging, can make one plow in a day. If there are ten craftsmen, they can make ten plows in a day; if there are a hundred craftsmen, they can make a hundred plows in a day."

"Once industry flourishes, its price will surely plummet!"

This is something Liu Bei witnessed in his previous life: as long as industry prospers, even the most expensive items can eventually be sold for the price of cabbage.

Liu Bei confidently stated, "The *Discourses on Salt and Iron* states: 'If industry does not flourish, agriculture will suffer.' Changsha boasts fertile plains stretching for thousands of miles, abundant water and heat, and thriving agriculture. I will vigorously promote industry and commerce, using the profits from iron smelting to manufacture plowshares and seed-planting machines, which will be loaned to the people. With sufficient plowshares, land reclamation will be easy; with easy reclamation, granaries will be full. This is the way to ensure the mutual support of industry, commerce, and agriculture."

Kou Yuan's eyes lit up immediately, and his expression became eager. How could he not know the wealth of industry and commerce?

To be precise, nowadays, Han Chinese all have the desire to do business. Even if the poor are given land, they still sell it cheaply to make a living, and when they are desperate, they become thieves.

Therefore, the imperial court repeatedly implemented a policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce.

Kou Yuan never expected that this prefect, who had always cracked down on mergers and suppressed powerful clans, would now also value industry and commerce.

Liu Bei calmly said, "However, the people of the lower classes do not engage in production and wander around for food. When driven by hunger and cold, they are easily turned into thieves. Therefore, I wish to invite the Kou and Zhen families to establish laws and regulations for industry and commerce in Changsha, so as not to harm agriculture and to promote the great development of industry and commerce."

Kou Yuan was overjoyed. If he could join forces with the Zhen family in this righteous cause, the Kou family would surely prosper as a result.

He immediately cupped his hands and said, "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Your Excellency. I will do my utmost to repay your favor!"