gnovel Chapter 59: Dongfang Shuo, the No.1 comedian of the Han Dynasty!
Chapter 59: Dongfang Shuo, the No.1 comedian of the Han Dynasty!
"His Majesty!"
Seeing Emperor Wu of Han's attitude, Sang Hongyang couldn't help but feel anxious.
The proposal by Crown Prince Liu Ju to appoint an agricultural official provided the best solution to the current predicament of the Han Empire.
Even he, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, couldn't think of a better way to solve the financial pressure.
"Grand Minister of Agriculture".
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, frowned, his voice carrying the unquestionable authority and superiority of an emperor.
"Your Majesty, I take my leave!"
Seeing this, Sang Hongyang's eyes dimmed, and he slowly withdrew from the Xuan Shi Hall.
Long after he left, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, lingered in the same spot, remaining silent for a long time.
"His Majesty."
The Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Su Wen, cautiously stepped forward and called out.
"Tell me, does this empire belong to me, or to the Liu family?"
'Thump!'
Su Wen trembled all over and didn't dare to reply.
"Sang Hongyang saw the suffering of the people, but he never saw the princes and kings of the Han Dynasty."
"As long as their interests are harmed, powerful families, feudal lords surnamed Liu, and even imperial relatives will stand together."
"I will never repeat the mistakes my father made."
Emperor Wu of Han had a pair of dark and deep eyes, and the years had left indelible marks on his face.
This middle-aged emperor could never forget the story his grandmother, Empress Dowager Dou, had told him: Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi, had once caused the throne to teeter on the brink of collapse and the country to crumble. It was a past that the empire could never forget.
On the surface, through the Edict of Grace, the vassal states of the Han Dynasty were weakened one after another, and none of them possessed the strength to threaten the central government.
However, among these feudal lords, there were many whose kingdoms had been passed down from Emperor Gaozu. For example, the Kingdom of Chu was mostly ruled by the brothers of Emperor Wu of Han, who were all sons of Emperor Jing of Han. How many of them did not covet the throne?
If agricultural officials were to be promoted throughout the land to recruit refugees and reclaim wasteland, the most direct impact would be the massive loss of population from the fiefdoms of these vassal kings. How could the Liu family vassal kings be willing to stand by and watch?
At that time, with these vassal states joining forces against the central government and the support of powerful clans and influential families, a major upheaval no less significant than the Rebellion of the Seven States will occur.
The Han Dynasty may appear prosperous on the surface, but its national grain reserves are nearly depleted. How can it possibly cope with the combined forces of so many enemies?
"Why doesn't Your Majesty let His Highness the Crown Prince do it?"
Su Wen mustered up his courage and said something.
"The Crown Prince?"
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, slowly turned around and looked at Su Wen, the Yellow Gate Attendant. An invisible sense of oppression enveloped Su Wen's entire body, and he dared not move an inch.
"Since His Highness the Crown Prince proposed the establishment of the Director of Agriculture, he will surely take into account the request of the Minister of Agriculture."
Su Wen's teeth chattered, but he still forced himself to speak.
"Um."
After hearing this, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, fell into deep thought.
"call!!!"
Huangmen Shilang Su Wen breathed a sigh of relief; the eye medicine had finally been administered.
At the same time, the court discussion in Xuan Shi Hall caused a great uproar. The influx of 550,000 refugees from Guandong into Guanzhong aroused the vigilance of countless powerful families, officials, and nobles. Guanzhong was originally their private territory, and they would not allow others to taint it.
Huo Guang, the newly appointed Director of Agriculture, became the target of public criticism. Almost everyone was looking for this new court official, but no one expected that Huo Guang would appear in the Marquisate of Champion in Nanyang County, thousands of miles away.
Huo Guang, in the name of the uncle of the Marquis of Champion, purged the Marquisate of Champion. All the corrupt officials were beheaded on the spot, and the entire marquisate was awash in blood.
Moreover, the Marquis of Champion's mansion in Chang'an was also subjected to a major purge, with a continuous stream of grain, gold, silver and money being sent to the Crown Prince's palace.
The three agricultural officers, Dongfang Qing, Tian Qianqiu, and Zhang Mian, have come into the view of many people. In particular, Tian Qianqiu, a lowly Gaoqin Lang, has become a high-ranking official with a salary of 1,500 shi (a unit of grain), which is unbelievable to everyone!
Unexpectedly, Tian Qianqiu used the fifteen agricultural inspectors and fifteen agricultural assistants under the jurisdiction of the Weibei Agricultural Inspectorate to make a deal with the powerful families in Changling, Anling, Yangling, and Maoling counties, in exchange for three thousand hectares of fertile land, thirty thousand shi of grain, and three thousand oxen.
Soon, a solid block was formed in the Weibei region. Tian Qianqiu, who had gained the support of powerful and wealthy families, began to bring in refugees from Guandong and resettle them.
.............
Chang'an, the northern residence, the eastern prefecture.
"The Crown Prince is truly unexpected."
A middle-aged man with disheveled hair, his chest exposed, sat on a couch, behaving in a rather unrestrained manner.
The first person to recognize the potential of Shanglin Garden was Dongfang Shuo. He wrote to Emperor Wu of Han, explaining the advantages and disadvantages, and tried to persuade him to abandon the idea of building Shanglin Garden, but to no avail. Instead, he was ignored by Emperor Wu and could only vent his frustrations by writing the prose poem "Answering the Guest's Difficult Questions".
Over the years, it was unexpected that Crown Prince Liu Ju would use a grand scheme to settle 550,000 refugees from Guandong in Shanglin Garden, turning Emperor Wu of Han's royal garden into a wasteland. He appointed the Director of Agriculture to oversee all matters related to land reclamation and to solve the country's problems.
"Grandpa!"
Looking at Dongfang Shuo before him, Dongfang Qing said helplessly, "Your Highness has the bearing of a wise ruler."
"You have been waiting for the emperor's summons for a long time. Why not accept His Highness's request and enter the Crown Prince's palace for a chat?"
"Based on my understanding of His Highness the Crown Prince, his attitude towards you is absolutely one of genuine respect."
"Tian Qianqiu has already passed away."
Dongfang Shuo ignored him and continued, "Zhang Mian is gathering Zhang Qian's former subordinates. The Crown Prince wants to meet Tang Yifu to enhance his understanding of the Han Dynasty and its surrounding barbarians, or perhaps to find a solution to the problem of the empty treasury by opening up trade routes."
"You're the only one left without a clue. You don't want your old man to recommend someone suitable for you, do you?"
"Most of the people my father associated with were not cut out to be officials; they were ambitious but incompetent."
"Resettling 200,000 refugees is no small matter."
What?
Dongfang Qing's face immediately fell. He thought that his father had been in the court for so many years and should have some connections. He arranged for some people to serve as Assistant Director of Agriculture, and selected a group of people who were eliminated from the selection of guards in the Crown Prince's Palace to serve as Director of Agriculture. In this way, the framework of the Director of Agriculture Office of Zhili was set up.
Who would have thought that Dongfang Shuo would deliver a fatal blow, forcing him to even reconsider the selection of the agricultural official? This truly shows that even a skilled cook cannot make a meal without rice.
"Migrants from Guandong who wished to travel to Weibei had to cross the Jing River and the Wei River."
"Of course, they must pass through Zhili, which is under your jurisdiction, to get to Weinan."
"Tian Qianqiu and Zhang Mian don't need to rush, but you are the only one."
Dongfang Shuo smiled and said inexplicably.
"Please teach me, Grandpa!"
Dongfang Qing could tell that Dongfang Shuo was confident in his ability to handle the matter and must have a solution, so he simply turned to his father for help.
"Since it is about governing displaced people, the displaced people themselves should understand the displaced people best."
"Why not select 20 people from among the 200,000 to serve as agricultural assistants, and let them settle the displaced people in batches to various places?"
"You only need to divide the Zhili region into twenty parts."
"As for appointing the agricultural commissioner and recruiting agricultural soldiers, these matters can be put aside for now."
Dongfang Shuo pointed at his somewhat pedantic son.
"I see!"
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Qing was overjoyed.
With these agricultural officials, who were originally from displaced backgrounds, making arrangements, the 200,000 displaced people would naturally cultivate the wasteland in an orderly manner, which would save a lot of trouble.
"Ouch!"
Dongfang Shuo suddenly sat up from the couch, stretched, and said lazily, "After being idle at home for so many years, my bones have become loose. It's time to get some exercise."
As he spoke, he walked out of the study and headed outside.
"Grandpa!"
Dongfang Qing looked at his disheveled appearance and was both amused and exasperated, but she didn't bother with it. It was against all reason for a son to restrain his father.