Ang Lee had always felt that the more stable the population of an empire was, the better. It would be even better if there was a slight increase. Large fluctuations were the most unacceptable. Only with a stable population could order more easily. If the population fluctuated greatly, the order would definitely be greatly affected. Once it caused chaos, the consequences would be very serious.
With sufficient food, it was not a big deal if the population increased slightly faster. The more people there were, the easier it was to form a prosperous civilization. It would be fine as long as the corresponding guarantees followed up. For example, in the current situation of Chang 'an City in the Tang dynasty, as long as more houses were built, the tension in the entire city would be greatly reduced. The conflicts would be weakened a lot.
He had already made some suggestions previously, but they might not be very effective. Ang Lee was still thinking about better strategies, such as the property tax, the transfer of backward workshops, and the transfer of some unimportant workshops to the counties around the capital. This would lead to the development of the surrounding counties and also greatly reduce the excessive growth of the capital's population and relieve the housing pressure. There were many, many ways. If one was not enough, he would use two. There would always be a way to solve the problem.
Old Du's cottage was located at a higher location. As long as one walked out of the courtyard, they would be able to see a large wheat field in the distance. It was very dazzling and very relaxing.
It was definitely a great enjoyment to be able to live in this place. Old Du also knew how to enjoy himself. He actually built his cottage here. This was also because Old Du built it early. If he built a cottage here at this time, it would definitely not be allowed. This was because ordinary people were prohibited from building privately within a radius of 100 miles outside the city. This was a new rule to prevent the imperial court from paying too much when it came to land requisition in the future. As Old Du had built his cottage here very early, it was logical for him to have his own residence and leisure place in this beautiful place. This was also Old Du's fortune.
If one could live in such a beautiful place, even if one only came here occasionally to relax, it would greatly nourish one's spirit. It would wash away one's hostility and uneasiness and make one broad-minded.
This was the healing power of nature. Nature was so magical that it could repair one's fragile body and also change one's mood and health. If one was separated from nature for a long time, one would feel uncomfortable and at a loss. Especially if one stayed in a small room like a pigeon cage for a long time, it would restrict one's thinking and mind, making one narrow-minded and extreme. It would be very easy for one to get angry over a small matter. However, it was very difficult for people who lived in a beautiful place to get angry over a small matter. This was the healing power of nature that could cure people's psychological problems.
In the distance, there were many scattered farmers harvesting wheat fields. One could also see seven or eight harvesters busy. This scene of harvesting was the most comfortable. Looking at this scene would make one very happy.
However, after a few days, they couldn't stay here anymore. This was because after the wheat fields were harvested, the straw would be burned. Once a large amount of straw was burned, the air would be filled with smoke and dust. The smell was quite unpleasant. Many people who couldn't breathe well would choke to death.
Old Du's cottage, which was located near the wheat fields, was naturally the first to bear the brunt. No matter what wind blew, Old Du's cottage wouldn't be able to escape. Therefore, when the wheat fields entered the stage of straw burning, Old Du wouldn't come to the cottage again. He would only come again when the fire was completely extinguished.
Every year, the burning of straw would cause a large amount of smoke. This irritating smoke not only affected the people living nearby, it also affected the nobles living in the capital. Even the emperor had no choice but to head to Pure Flowers Palace to hide for a few days during the burning season. Otherwise, he would feel uncomfortable from the choking.
Although there would be straw burning dozens of li away from Pure Flowers Palace, as long as the timing was controlled, the emperor would be able to avoid being affected by the smoke. For example, before the emperor went to Pure Flowers Palace, the nearby wheat fields would be burned early. After the emperor went, the nearby areas would be burned again. This way, the smoke from the straw burning naturally wouldn't affect the emperor and wouldn't cause any harm to the emperor's body.
From this, it could be seen how important agriculture was in ancient times. Even if the emperor was affected by the smoke, he wouldn't stop the farmers from burning the straw. Instead, he would find a place to hide or endure it for a few days. It wasn't a big deal.
Looking at the harvest scene, Ang Lee was full of smiles. As for Old Du, other than being happy, there seemed to be a trace of worry. It was unknown what unhappy things he was thinking about. With his little wife accompanying him, could it be that Old Du was dissatisfied with something? What was he worried about?
With curiosity in his heart, Ang Lee asked, "Old Du! Why do you look so worried? If you have something unhappy to say, say it. Maybe you won't be so worried after you say it. "
Old Du frowned. He first smiled, then pointed at the golden wheat fields in the distance and said, "Right now, the Tang dynasty has been reaping bountiful harvests year after year. The cavalry in the north is no longer a threat. The commoners are living more and more comfortably, but how long will this good life last? In the future … who can guess what will happen in the future? "
Seeing Old Du's hesitant appearance, Ang Lee seemed to have guessed Old Du's worries. He was worried that the stable situation in the Tang dynasty would be broken. Once the imperial court fell into an unstable state, all their previous efforts would be wasted. The price could be said to be great.
Right now, the imperial court was very stable. Old Du was fine, so why was he worrying over nothing? Wasn't he just bored? Or did Old Du discover something and feel uneasy?
"Old Du, there are no outsiders here. Say what's on your mind! If there's anything you're worried about, just say it. "
Ang Lee asked.
Old Du also knew that Li An was not a petty person. Even if he said something that he should not have said, Li An would not talk nonsense outside. Therefore, he did not have to worry about anything. He could say whatever he wanted to say. There was no need to hide anything at all.
"Assistant Minister Li, didn't you notice the unusual movements of the princes in recent years?"
Old Du said with a frown, looking very anxious.
It could be seen that Old Du's job as chief editor was not for nothing. By doing this job, he could come into contact with too many people and matters, and he had a very thorough understanding of the court. He could even know what the nobles had done like the back of his hand, so he had a better understanding of the current situation. He seemed to be able to see that many people were not very well-behaved, but it was not too obvious. How things would develop was very worrying.
Ang Lee naturally understood that the culprit behind this was the Emperor. In order to prevent his son from usurping the throne, this old fellow had put in a lot of effort. First, he placed the Crown Prince by his side to monitor him, then he gave the other princes more importance and trust, causing the ministers in the imperial court to be unable to figure out the Emperor's true intentions. They did not know which son the Emperor wanted to pass the throne to, so it was not easy for them to choose a side. If they chose the wrong side, it would be a tragedy after the new Emperor succeeded the throne. Therefore, different people would have different judgments and choose different princes. There were even some who did not choose and directly pledged their loyalty to the Emperor. This way, after the new Emperor ascended the throne, although he could not soar into the sky, at least he would not be too unlucky. It was a safer method.
Different people had different personalities. Some people preferred to take risks, while others preferred to be content with a little wealth. Therefore, various interest groups appeared in the imperial court. Although they were relatively hidden, smart people could still see through them.
Old Du managed the Tang dynasty newspaper wholeheartedly. Naturally, he was not on anyone's side, nor did he want to participate in the competition for the next generation of the royal family. Ang Lee was a little close to Li Yu, but when other imperial grandsons came over, Ang Lee also warmly welcomed them and did not deliberately alienate them. He was very nice to everyone. In addition, he had removed his military power, so naturally, he did not belong to any faction. At least, there was no evidence to prove that Ang Lee supported anyone. Those who did not have military power and enough official power would have limited support for anyone.
"Old Du, you think too much. The actions of these princes are all within the scope of control. They have not done anything out of line. Even His Majesty is not worried. What are you worried about?"
Ang Lee opened his mouth and said.
More than half of these princes were Jiedushi and Viceroys of remote regions. The second-ranked ones were Prefectural Magistrates of big provinces. All of them were high-ranking officials with local and border positions. Fortunately, they were all remote regions and did not really work there. They still stayed in the capital. If they were all sent to other places, it would be very serious. It was very likely that it would result in a situation where there was no way to get rid of them.
For example, Prince Yong was conferred the Viceroy of Jingzhou. Prince Zhen was the Jiedushi of Longyou. In history, they naturally lived in the residence of the Ten Kings in the capital. However, after the An Lushan Rebellion, they had all become figures with real power. For example, Prince Zhen, Li Wan, had obtained the position of Marshal of Punitive Expedition. Many of the other princes also had military power. Among them, there were some who planned to gather troops to rebel, such as Prince Yong.
Prince Yong was punished for gathering troops to fight for power. Prince Zhen suddenly died after winning a few battles and obtained the title of Crown Prince Jing Gong. If he had not died, he would have been miserable. At least, he had won the title of Emperor, which was slightly higher than that of Prince Zhen. It was a very good ending. This guy was very good at giving birth. He had 58 children, which was not an ordinary high yield. With so many children, it was obvious that this guy had married many wives and was very good at living a good life. Ang Lee suspected that the reason why this guy suddenly died after winning a few battles was because he had been close to women for a long time, which caused his body to be weak. Marching and fighting a war was very tiring. It was very demanding on one's body. If one was not in good health, it was very easy to fall sick in the military camp. After winning a battle, it was easy for people to get excited. They would even get involved in three armies and drink a lot of alcohol. This would inevitably further increase the burden on the body, making it difficult for the body to bear such a serious injury. As a result, it was easy for one to die suddenly. It could also be said that extreme joy turned to sorrow.
For a person who usually paid attention to maintaining his health, it was very rare for extreme joy to turn to sorrow. Even if he suddenly became very sad or happy, it was not a big deal. However, for a person who usually did not pay attention to maintaining his health, once he became very sad or happy, it was very likely that he would die suddenly. The body was very important. It determined a person's endurance.
Prince Zhen, Li Longji, was one of the people who had a lot of children. He had 58 children. It was really a lot. Compared to his father, Li Longji, he was not inferior at all. It was unknown how he could be so good at giving birth.
The Crown Prince did not have as many children as Prince Zhen. Prince Di, Li Yan, who died of depression, also had a lot of children. It was said that he had 55 children. Prince Yan was also not bad, having 36 children. During the An Lushan Rebellion, because he could not bear to leave so many children behind, he was greatly delayed. He was scolded by Xuan Zong who was in a hurry to escape. If it was not for Prince Hanzhong's pleading, it was very likely that he would have been punished.
There were also many princes who died early. There were also many who died early. There were only a few who were really influential. Even at this time, there were only a little more than ten people who were still living in the residence of the Ten Lords.
In fact, although there were many princes, there were only a few who had the strength to compete for the throne. The rest were just there for show. There was almost no sense of existence at all. However, this did not prevent them from having this thought.
In the past, among all of Li Shimin's sons, no matter how one thought about it, it was not Li Zhi, the Ninth Prince's turn to be the Emperor. However, his brothers who were more talented than him missed the opportunity to be the Emperor for various reasons. In the end, the Emperor's throne was thrown to him. This made many people feel very surprised. It was simply a real-life version of the sandpiper and the clam fighting for the Third Prince. A large number of courtiers who supported the Crown Prince, Prince of Shu, and Prince of Wei were shocked when they saw this result. Who would have thought that the Ninth Prince, who did not fight for the throne, would succeed the throne in the end? This was beyond everyone's expectations. It was also a slap in everyone's face. All of their supporters had failed.
Why couldn't the same situation happen at this time? The Crown Prince had the highest status. At the same time, the Emperor also put Prince Tan, Prince Zhen, and the others in important positions. This gave the princes a chance to perform. No one could predict what the final situation would be. If these people were all punished for fighting for power, wouldn't these princes, who were just there for show, have a chance? There were only a dozen princes. The final heir was among them. No one could say who it would be.
The old Emperor was still alive. Perhaps he could live for another ten or twenty years. At that time, would the Crown Prince, Prince Tan, and Prince Zhen leave first? If they left first, wouldn't the remaining princes have a chance? After all, since ancient times, most of the princes inherited the Emperor's throne. There were too few like Zhu Yuanzhang who let his grandson inherit the throne. In the end, it also caused turmoil and made the Ming Empire fall into turmoil.
At this time, the dozen princes had not yet entered the stage of conspiring and forming a group. They did not have the courage. However, they had already started to take action. They had already begun to quietly lay out their plans. This kind of plan was very quiet. Their movements were very small and very gentle. Even if they were discovered, it would be fine.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
