Li Qinzai rarely talks about truth, especially with Li Zhi.
His character is actually very content with the status quo. If he maintains his current life state until he grows old, it may not be a happy thing.
Occasionally, I will think about a few new dishes, make some small inventions, add some trouble to the students, quietly grow up with my son, find a remote place to build a small villa when I am old, and wait for the end of my life with my wife.
If the children and grandchildren are filial, they can interact with each other more often. If they are indifferent to each other, then the water in the well does not offend the river.
After two lifetimes, in fact, Li Qinzai has not lived so clearly. Life has its ups and downs, and he cannot be calm. What qualifications do he have to tell others the truth?
But today he had to say it.
The world is beautiful, it can become better, and it can also make your life more convenient.
The important thing is that it can continue the current happy life status quo, perhaps, be better.
Why not talk about it?
Li Zhi and Empress Wu were stunned by Li Qinzai's great principles. At this moment, they really regretted why they didn't bring people from Zhongshushe to accompany them to record the contents of the memorials between the emperor and his ministers.
After taking the throne for more than ten years, Li Zhi already had rich experience in governing the country. He could feel by intuition that what Li Qinzai said was the road to governing the country and the theory of country planning.
"Jingchu, great talent, you continue to speak, I am all ears." Li Zhi's expression became solemn.
Empress Wu also became more serious and said: "'If you want to be rich, build roads first', it is just six words, the words are excellent, and the thought is quite reasonable. Your Majesty, Jingchu's words will be of great use to the country."
Li Qinzai thought for a while and said: "Roads are actually the infrastructure of a country. They require a huge investment in construction, and it is difficult to recover the investment costs. They consume the country's capital."
"Not only is the investment huge, but the construction period is also very long. With all due respect, Your Majesty, it may be difficult for one or two generations of emperors to repair the roads in all prefectures and counties throughout the Tang Dynasty. If the emperors later feel that the cost is not beneficial, it may be the end of the people and the government. , gave up halfway.”
"However, if one day, all the states and counties in the Tang Dynasty build cement roads, with the capital Chang'an as the center, spreading out in all directions like a spider web, these roads will be the arteries of a strong and prosperous country, be it natural disasters or man-made disasters, as long as the roads Continuously, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.”
"Merchant's goods flow faster and faster, the army moves faster, and any disturbances in various prefectures and counties can be spread to Chang'an faster, which is conducive to His Majesty's complete control over the local government."
Li Zhi and Empress Wu's eyes became brighter and brighter, and they took deep breaths from time to time. It was obvious that the Tian family couple was very uneasy at this time.
Li Qinzai pondered for a moment and then said: "At the same time, building roads has another great benefit. This benefit can ensure that the Tang Dynasty will be worry-free for at least a hundred years."
"What's the benefit?" Li Zhi asked impatiently.
Li Qinzai smiled and said, "Your Majesty and Queen, please move. I want to show you something."
Li Zhi smiled and said: "Let's go, I will listen to Jingchu's arrangements today."
The three monarchs and ministers left the entrance of the cement kiln and, under the escort of the imperial guards, went straight to the entrance of Ganjingzhuang Village.
The entrance to the village was busy, with villagers wielding shovels and hoes to dig ditches. Five main ditches were already taking shape along the way from the farmland to the Weihe River.
Cement was being fired continuously, and farmers picked up river sand and mixed the cement well. Many people had learned Li Qinzai's technique and were using iron sheets to spread the mixed cement on the surface of the ditch.
Li Zhi and Empress Wu looked at each other in surprise. Li Zhi couldn't help but said: "Jingchu, the bankers are..."
Li Qinzai sighed: "There is a drought in the north this year. Although the autumn harvest has not yet arrived, the approximate grain harvest has been predicted. The results are not good. Even if the government waives rent and taxes, it will be difficult for the farmers to maintain their family's livelihood for a year. "
"I then thought of a way to mobilize farmers to dig ditches before the busy farming season to alleviate future droughts in advance. The ditches lead directly to the Wei River. There may be other disasters in the future, but if there is a drought, the harvest will not be too low. .”
Li Zhiruo had some realization: "Is Jingchu planning to use workmanship to let farmers exchange their labor for food to survive this year's disaster?"
"Yes, I call this 'relief with work'. Your Majesty, in times of disaster, the people certainly need relief, but simple relief is not a fundamental solution. When the people get used to reaching out to the government for relief, they will lose their labor. motivation."
"In the future, regardless of natural or man-made disasters, just open your mouth and ask the government for help. If this continues, it will not be a good thing for the country or the people. This trend cannot last."
"If local governments provide a job to the people affected by the disaster in the form of corvee or work, and allow the people to exchange labor for food, this will not only ensure the food and clothing of the victims, but also purify the folk customs, and at the same time, the various states and counties in the Tang Dynasty will also receive new benefits. embankments, roads, walls.”
"What's more important is that providing relief for work can stabilize people's hearts. If there is a disaster year, people's hearts are turbulent, and refugees flee from place to place, it is easy to cause civil unrest. But if we provide people with opportunities to earn money and food, it is a way to survive. , who would want to rebel if we have a way to survive?"
The expressions of Li Zhi and Empress Wu became more solemn. They listened to every word of Li Qinzai's words and remembered them in their hearts.
It has to be said that Li Qinzai has a profound view.
The work-for-relief proposal he proposed was indeed the way to govern the country. From an emperor's point of view, if there was a way to quickly stabilize people's hearts in disaster years, no emperor would refuse it.
Since the beginning of China, Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, and hundreds of schools of thought have all had theories on establishing the world, but no matter which theory, its fundamental purpose is to consolidate imperial rule.
The core of imperial rule is the people and the hearts of the people. In short, for thousands of years, countless sages and sages have tried their best to create various theories, all from the perspective of rulers, to help them consolidate imperial power and stabilize people's support, thereby achieving the goal of the dynasty for thousands of generations.
What Li Qinzai just said was very pragmatic. He eased the conflict between the rulers and the people from a different perspective.
In the past, what did the rulers do during disaster years?
They are on guard, on alert, to prevent disaster victims from causing trouble and from ambitious people taking the opportunity to rebel. Therefore, the purpose of stationing troops in disaster areas during disaster years is not to help the victims, but to be ready to suppress them at any time.
Just like Dayu's control of floods, emperors of all dynasties used "blocking", while Li Qinzai used "sparing".
It is better to block than to open up.
In contrast, during previous disaster years, the government's preparedness blocked the people's way of survival, but Li Qinzai opened up a way of life and gave the people another choice to survive.
Survival is not just farming. Even if the land is ruined, you can still work. As long as you work hard, you can survive.
If the people all believed that they would not die of hunger, who would risk losing their heads in rebellion?
Li Zhi murmured: "Work for relief, work for relief... wonderful!"
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