noveltune Chapter 5469 Learn More
Chapter 5469 Learn More
Chapter 5469 Learn More
People will do things that harm others without benefiting themselves, but no one will do things that harm themselves for the benefit of others.
What does it matter to the officials and people of the various prefectures in Jiangnan West Circuit whether or not Dongting Lake is managed? The tens of millions of acres of fertile land will not be given to them. The state can resettle the people and increase tax revenue, but why should they provide corvée labor, food, and equipment?
Even if one or two officials, blinded by ambition, were to order support, they would still be met with resistance and shirking of responsibility from their subordinates at all levels.
The mobilization of supplies was extremely difficult.
Now that winter has arrived, although the Dongting Lake area is not frozen, the climate is very cold, and the damp and cold outdoors is not suitable for large-scale labor, which gives Xu Jingzong a chance to catch his breath.
However, if he fails to gather enough resources before spring to ensure the smooth progress of the Dongting Lake development plan, then he will be in big trouble.
Li Chengqian frowned, his tone grave: "We must be prepared to mobilize resources. Developing Dongting Lake is a major national policy with far-reaching implications. If it is delayed indefinitely and gets bogged down in a quagmire, it will affect the implementation of the new policies of the entire country."
He was, after all, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Compared to the development of the backward Liaodong region, the success or failure of the Dongting Lake development was far more important. If this project to manage Dongting Lake were to stall and drag on for too long, the resources required would likely double.
The empire is indeed prosperous today, but there are too many places to govern and too many new policies to implement. How can it be tightly bound by a single Dongting Lake?
Xu Jingzong quickly stated, "I will set off for Yuezhou in a few days and will not return for the New Year. I will do my utmost to mobilize resources and will surely be able to complete this important task."
Li Chengqian nodded and instructed, "This matter is of great importance and must be successful, but we must also maintain a balance and not rush things."
Although he grew up in the inner palace, he was not a foolish ruler detached from worldly affairs; he had a deep understanding of the rules of officialdom. Once a superior showed impatience to "spare no expense," subordinate officials would seize the opportunity to lower their standards again and again.
Ultimately, it is the innocent people who will suffer.
However, if the people suffer from cruelty, it will damage his reputation for "benevolence and kindness," which is absolutely unacceptable.
Xu Jingzong was adept at understanding people's hearts and immediately grasped His Majesty's meaning. He quickly stated, "The initial intention of developing Dongting Lake was to cultivate more fertile land and control the floods in the lake area. Everything was for the benefit of the people. If the development of Dongting Lake causes the people to bear too much burden, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse? Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely make the development of Dongting Lake a good policy that will be remembered for generations to come, so that the people of Jiangnan West Circuit will benefit from it for generations to come and remember Your Majesty's great achievements."
He spoke frankly, but inwardly he was filled with sorrow.
If we don't want officials to exploit the local people and oppress the masses, we can't delegate responsibilities or pressure officials. In doing so, the development of Dongting Lake will naturally become twice as difficult.
Li Chengqian nodded with satisfaction.
He gestured for Xu Jingzong and Pei Huaijie to sit down, had the eunuch refill the teapot, and asked, "The development of Dongting Lake is a massive project. What do you think is the most difficult aspect?"
Xu Jingzong had done a lot of research on this, and although he had never governed a region before, he was confident in his abilities.
"Your Majesty, although the water level of Dongting Lake has dropped in recent years, it still stretches for hundreds of miles. And this is only the lake area; the affected area is more than double that. The reason is that the river channels are silted up, the lakebed is silted up, and drainage is inadequate. Every rainy season, a large amount of water from the upper reaches of the river flows into Dongting Lake but cannot be discharged smoothly, causing the water level to rise and spread to low-lying areas, turning thousands of miles of watery land into a vast expanse of water. Therefore, to control the lake, we must first control the river, and to control the river, we must first dredge the silt... But whether it is the Yangtze River waterway, the tributary canals, or Dongting Lake itself, due to the long-term neglect of management, silt has accumulated, making dredging extremely difficult."
Why has Yunmengze been so difficult to govern since ancient times?
The reason is that its terrain is low-lying, with a dense network of waterways but also silt accumulation. When the mighty river from upstream comes, the water level rises sharply and submerges everything.
With the river flowing back and forth and the lake rising and falling, the lake area is like quicksand, constantly shifting, making its management extremely difficult.
The root of all this lies in the silt in the riverbeds and lakebeds. If the silt cannot be removed, then this section of the Yangtze River and the entire Dongting Lake will drift aimlessly like rootless duckweed, and there will be no way to manage the lake or cultivate fertile land.
The land cleared today may be submerged by the lake tomorrow...
How can silt that has accumulated for hundreds or thousands of years be cleared away so easily?
The silt is all underwater, and clearing it by manpower is as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Li Chengqian pondered: "Logically speaking, the situation in Liaoze is quite similar to that of Dongting Lake."
The siltation of waterways caused the river to overflow its banks and become a vast expanse of water, forming marshes and wetlands that are rarely visited by people... If the difficulty in managing Dongting Lake lies in dredging, then the same is true for Liaoze.
Xu Jingzong's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood: "Your humble servant will keep a close eye on the situation in Liaodong and maintain communication and exchange of experiences with Governor Cui."
Pei Huaijie was puzzled: "We are now in a competitive relationship with Liaodong, why would Cui Dunli exchange experiences with us?"
Xu Jingzong laughed and said, "Your Excellency is mistaken. Although the development of Dongting Lake and Liaodong is proceeding at the same time, the so-called competition between them is to improve efficiency and maintain a vigorous and enterprising attitude. In the end, it is all about cultivating more fertile land, relieving poverty, increasing tax revenue for the empire, and ensuring that the people have more food to eat... National interests are above all else!"
He now admires Fang Jun more and more. How did that guy come up with the idea that "national interests are above all else"?
Wielding such a big stick of "moral supremacy," anyone who dares to oppose it will be attacked—it's incredibly effective...
Pei Huaijie was somewhat dazed by this blow. "Am I now a selfish and treacherous minister who disregards the interests of the country?"
He said indignantly, "Even so, how can we associate with those people in the Eastern Palace who offend imperial authority and disrespect His Majesty?"
Xu Jingzong gave an "Eh," and said dismissively, "No one is perfect, much less benevolent or sage. It's not surprising that some people have selfish desires, and it's only natural that they fight each other. But whether it's the Crown Prince or any of us, we are first and foremost His Majesty's subjects. His Majesty possesses the whole world and reigns supreme. The country and the family are one, and the interests of the country are His Majesty's interests. Therefore, we should prioritize safeguarding His Majesty's interests before considering anything else."
Li Chengqian was extremely satisfied and nodded repeatedly: "Good, good, good! This is the conduct that officials of the Great Tang should have!"
Good heavens, no wonder so many emperors favored treacherous officials; they were just too useful!
However, Pei Huaijie was someone he relied on at the moment, so although he was dissatisfied, he tried his best to appease him: "The Chamberlain's understanding of the Grand Commandant is not as profound as that of Minister Xu. When it comes to the art of governing the country, he is not as good as Ma Zhou; when it comes to military strategy, he is not as good as Duke Ying. But when it comes to the study of strange skills and ingenuity, he is unparalleled in the world! Whether it is Dongting Lake or Liaodong, the large-scale development now is something that has never happened before in history. It must involve many technologies, and the Grand Commandant is extremely good at this. We should learn from him."
Xu Jingzong laughed smugly: "Instead of me being stuck in Yuezhou, worrying and racking my brains, it would be better to send a few people to Liaodong to 'infiltrate' and learn all kinds of technologies there, then bring them back and apply them directly!"
He knew Fang Juntai very well.
Since Fang Jun dared to propose developing Liaodong, he must have had an extremely deep understanding of the situation in Liaodong beforehand, and had formulated a complete and detailed plan before openly presenting it to His Majesty. Therefore, it is certain that Fang Jun must have made solutions to all kinds of problems that may be encountered in the development process.
Since I've been worrying myself sick and still haven't found a solution, I might as well see what brilliant ideas Fang Jun has, and then I can just summarize and copy them.
Learn from others...
Pei Huaijie was dumbfounded: "What...what if people criticize us? It would damage His Majesty's dignity!"
Li Chengqian waved his hand magnanimously: "What majesty can compare to the people's peaceful and prosperous life and the empire's flourishing? In the face of national interests, everything must give way!"
Xu Jingzong was filled with heartfelt admiration and respect: "Your Majesty cares deeply for the people and is benevolent and kind-hearted; this is a blessing for the world!"
Pei Huaijie looked at the emperor and his minister, lost in thought...
*****
The Eastern Palace, Lizheng Hall.
Inside the side hall, Empress Su, dressed in a moon-white Shu brocade palace gown, with a slender waist and graceful figure, her hair piled high and adorned with pearls and jade, was kneeling before the tea table by the window, slowly sipping tea. Her features were exquisite, her skin as white as snow, and the dignified charm of a young woman in her prime seemed to transform into the misty vapor that flowed slowly, filling even the air with a refined and elegant atmosphere.
The female official, bowing respectfully before him, reported in a low voice: "His Majesty has been spending the nights at Consort Shen's residence these past few days, and has been teaching the little prince calligraphy and copying model texts while holding him in his arms."
As he spoke, he glanced cautiously at Empress Su.
Empress Su's beautiful face remained calm and composed, showing no emotion. She took a small sip of tea and asked in a clear voice, "Whose calligraphy is this?"
The female official said, "This is the 'Ode to Ni Kuan' written by the Duke of Henan after he returned to his hometown."
"Heh," Empress Su sneered, "It's laughable that you would choose to copy the calligraphy of such a morally corrupt and infamous person instead of the calligraphy of the nation's foremost calligrapher."
Fang Jun's calligraphy may not be the "best in the dynasty," after all, many famous calligraphers emerged at the beginning of the dynasty, such as Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, and Chu Suiliang. It is difficult to define such a thing as "there is no first in literature." However, if one has the added advantage of power and status, no one would dare to say that the others are superior to Fang Jun.
Opinions on Chu Suiliang's calligraphy varied among his contemporaries. Those who criticized it felt his strokes were exaggerated in thickness and variation in structure, demonstrating diligent practice but lacking naturalness. Conversely, opinions on Fang Junzhi were largely positive, describing his work as opulent and regal…
The female official stood with her hands clasped and head bowed, not daring to utter a word.
After a while, Empress Su finished a cup of tea, picked up a silk handkerchief placed to the side and wiped her slender hands. She said calmly, "It is not easy for eunuchs to approach from there, so you must be vigilant and keep a close eye on things. Remember who you usually associate with, who requests an audience, and anything else that seems unusual. Report back as soon as possible."
The female official respectfully agreed, but inwardly she was filled with trepidation.
Anyone involved in this struggle for the crown prince position must feel as if they are walking on thin ice or standing on the edge of an abyss.
They are easily crushed to pieces.