The various prefectures and states are all discussing the nascent signs of drought.
In the past two days, the memorials submitted are all filled with reports of disasters.
They claim that although preparations were made last year, they were far from sufficient.
Your Majesty has summoned you all here today to discuss how to face the coming drought.
After Li Shimin finished speaking, he looked displeasedly at Du Yiyang.
Minister of Works, I wish to ask, how are the water channels and reservoirs being built across the regions?
Did the heavy snow last year accumulate any water sources?
Du Yiyang quickly explained, "Replying to Your Majesty, ever since Fang County Duke issued his warning last year, I mobilized all registered craftsmen and conscripted five hundred thousand laborers to work day and night.
We did indeed manage to store some water during the heavy snow at the turn of the year, but I estimate this water is far from enough to resolve the drought.
This is an objective fact.
How many people did Yang Guang use to build the Grand Canal? Over five million!
How long did it take? Six years!
In this era reliant entirely on manual labor, undertaking major projects is precisely this difficult.
Never mind that. I only ask you, with so many people employed by the Ministry of Works and such vast expenditures, what results can be achieved this year!
I only want results!"
Li Shimin impatiently pressed.
Replying to Your Majesty, if what Fang County Duke predicted comes true, then the summer harvest this year will be reduced by at least seventy percent!
Du Yiyang's forehead beaded with sweat as he uttered these words, his heart pounding.
*Crack!*
Li Shimin was furious. He grabbed a tea cup from the imperial desk and smashed it to the ground, fragments scattering everywhere.
Seventy percent!
With the deployment of five hundred thousand laborers and an expenditure exceeding a million strings of coins, you tell me the production will still be reduced by seventy percent!
What use do I have for you as the Minister of Works!
Your Majesty, please calm your anger. There are still two months until the summer harvest; perhaps there will be a turning point.
Du Ruhui quickly interjected to persuade him.
Duke Fang, you are in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. I ask you, what is the current price of grain? How much grain is stored in the treasury?
If the production is indeed reduced by seventy percent, can enough grain be produced for disaster relief?
For matters like this, it is better to believe it might happen than to dismiss it. Focusing on some unsubstantiated turning point is not what a wise ruler should do.
Li Shimin wants to prepare for the worst and prevent future calamities.
Replying to Your Majesty, I inquired about grain prices yesterday. Rice and wheat are priced at one string and five hundred coins per shi, and millet, broomcorn millet, and foxtail millet are priced at one string and two hundred coins per shi. The price has increased by thirty percent compared to half a month ago.
Among the ten circuits of the empire, five are most affected by the drought:
Guan Nei, Henan, Hebei, Longyou, and Shandong.
Excluding the remaining five circuits, these five circuits alone account for sixty percent of the national population, nearly nine million people.
The surplus grain in households can at most sustain them until the summer harvest. By then, even if Your Majesty decrees that no summer grain be collected, the reduced harvest will only be enough for the people to last for another two months.
In this scenario, disaster relief plus seeds for the autumn harvest will require at least four million shi of grain.
Currently, the national treasury, excluding sweet potatoes, only has one million shi of stored grain.
*Hiss~~~*
As soon as Fang Xuanling finished speaking, the ministers in the hall collectively gasped.
A deficit of three million shi!
Li Shimin was also stunned. He had anticipated a grain shortage, but never expected it to be so severe!
Without grain, we can only buy it. So he said to Fang Xuanling,
Then quickly send people to Jiangnan and Huainan. No matter what, before the summer harvest, make up this deficit of three million shi!
Your Majesty! The national treasury is out of funds. After the spring, with the reform of the various protectorates, construction, coupled with the establishment of schools and water conservancy projects, has emptied the Ministry of Revenue!
Fang Xuanling spread his hands, indicating his inability to help.
Young man, have you raised the ten million strings of coins in national debt that you took on?
With the Ministry of Revenue having no money, Li Shimin turned his attention to Fang Er.
Fang Er looked embarrassed. After he had assigned the task, he had completely forgotten about it.
Replying to Your Majesty, I am not entirely sure. Perhaps we should summon the governor of the Chang'an main branch to ask?
Granted!
Upon hearing Li Shimin's agreement, Fang Er walked outside the hall and found a guard, asking him to summon Ma Hongyun from Chang'an Bank, and then returned to the hall to wait.
Just then, Wei Zheng suddenly stepped forward and asked Fang Xuanling,
Duke Fang, I seem to recall that the sweet potato harvest last year was nearly two million shi, and it was all stored in the national treasury, correct?
There were indeed two million shi, but these are seeds for the autumn harvest, and we absolutely cannot use them.
Your Majesty, these sweet potatoes have taken a full three years to breed. If we breed them once more this year, they will be inexhaustible. We absolutely cannot use them for disaster relief!
When sweet potatoes were mentioned, Old Fang immediately became agitated.
These were his lifeline!
Li Shimin was also hesitant.
Upon hearing that there was grain in the national treasury, Wei Zheng bowed to Li Shimin.
Your Majesty! I request that the granaries be opened to distribute the sweet potato seeds for disaster relief. Otherwise, in two months, nine million people will go hungry and be displaced!
Fang Xuanling immediately became agitated, pointing at Wei Zheng's nose and roaring.
Wei Zheng! In the current great drought, we need to reserve these sweet potatoes as seeds for the autumn harvest. This crop is drought-resistant and is the preferred choice in dry years!
If these are used for disaster relief, what will happen if the autumn is also dry?
Another person stepped forward: Duke Fang, I believe Duke Wei's words are reasonable. With the great drought affecting the entire country, it is unlikely that the various circuits of Jiangnan can quickly gather such a large quantity of grain.
Furthermore, who can guarantee that the southern regions will not experience drought if we procure all the grain from these areas?
I second this motion! Please open the granaries and release the sweet potatoes~~
I second this motion!
I second this motion!
For a moment, the entire Liangji Hall was filled with requests for Li Shimin to release the sweet potato seeds for disaster relief.
Fang Xuanling was sweating profusely, but he couldn't refute them. He panted heavily, pointing at the ministers.
You~ you~ you are simply shortsighted!
Without these sweet potatoes, who knows how many years it will take to breed them again!
If there is another drought next year, what will we use then!
After scolding them, he suddenly pointed at Fang Er: Fang County Duke, all these sweet potatoes are the result of your hard work!
You can't just let years of effort be consumed by a single drought, can you?
Fang Er: ...
This is outrageous! Should I call you stingy, or just stingy?
Damn it, ever since last autumn's harvest, the sweet potatoes were handed over to the Ministry of Revenue. Fang Family Village only kept some for their own use.