Chapter 37: Planning Gaoling

Chapter 37: Planning Gaoling

Upon returning to Gaoling from Chang'an, Ma Zhou was already waiting at the academy. Seeing Li Tai, he immediately stepped forward to greet him and asked, "I heard that Your Highness was targeted in an assassination attempt. How are you faring now?"

"It has already been dealt with," Li Tai replied calmly. "Furthermore, Father has rebuilt Gaoling County and appointed me as the County Magistrate. I am permitted to appoint or dismiss officials below the rank of magistrate at my own discretion. He wants to see if I can govern Gaoling to the highest possible rating within three years, thereby proving that I possess the talent of Gan Luo."

"Your Highness, did you accept this?" Ma Zhou asked, frowning slightly.

"Naturally!" Li Tai patted Ma Zhou's thigh, full of confidence. "I shall remain the magistrate responsible for the planning, while you act as the County Assistant responsible for implementation. With the two of us working together, having managed the Agricultural Academy so successfully, what is a mere county to us?"

Li Tai knew his own limitations very well. As for handling specific, nitty-gritty tasks, he was better off leaving those to others. He knew his own level of competence. By comparison, Ma Zhou was a future legendary chancellor; if he couldn't manage a single county, that would truly be a joke! Therefore, Li Tai expressed his absolute trust in Ma Zhou.

Hearing that Li Tai had immediately appointed him as the County Assistant, Ma Zhou felt a mix of amusement and frustration. However, he was deeply moved by the fact that Li Tai, as the Prince of Yue, could be so respectful toward the talented. And just as Li Tai had said, Gaoling was essentially a place where Li Tai would handle the planning, while he would be responsible for building it up bit by bit. The sense of achievement in watching a desolate, barren piece of land become prosperous because of his own efforts was deeply gratifying to Ma Zhou. Thus, in response to Li Tai’s invitation, he replied, "How could I refuse?"

Li Tai continued, "Since Father has given us three years to bring this city to the highest rating, we must evaluate the local resources. Only by adapting to local conditions can we achieve twice the result with half the effort! Let us go to my study and talk by candlelight to map out our future as quickly as possible!"

"Understood!" Ma Zhou was also brimming with enthusiasm. For him, there was nothing he enjoyed more than talking by candlelight with his sovereign; it was the ultimate sign that he was valued.

"Bai He, you shall hold the lamp and take notes on the side," Li Tai instructed. "Also, have the kitchen prepare a late-night snack. The night is cold, and we need something to fill our stomachs."

Bai He wanted to say something, but Li Tai had already pulled Ma Zhou into the study. Bai He glanced at Lu Anshou, who nodded heavily in response. It meant that he was merely a bodyguard; if Li Tai wasn't sleeping, he had to stand at the door. Most importantly, if there was a midnight snack, he hoped they wouldn't forget him!

Inside the room, Bai He held the lamp and began grinding ink for the records.

Li Tai asked, "Tell me first, what advantages do you think Gaoling has?"

Ma Zhou took a cup of wine from somewhere, drank, let out a long breath, and slowly said, "Gaoling is located in the heart of Guanzhong, at the confluence of the Jing and Wei rivers. Following these tributaries, one can reach almost anywhere in the region. If Guanzhong is likened to a dish, Gaoling is the heart of it—it is accessible in all directions! Secondly, the soil is fertile and the water network is well-developed; if reclaimed, it could be covered in prime farmland. The most crucial point is its proximity to Chang'an. This is the hardest point to overcome, but also the key to its breakthrough. After all, we have always enjoyed the convenience of being close to Chang'an."

Li Tai nodded in agreement. "You are right. The most important thing is its proximity to Chang'an!"

Li Tai understood the benefits of being near the imperial capital, but the real task was to seize this locational advantage. Li Tai narrowed his eyes and said, "The Ministry of Personnel's assessments are based on land reclamation, population changes, agricultural yields, and tax collection. As for my personal evaluation, only my father can judge that; no one else is qualified. Therefore, we should just focus on doing the actual work, doing everything well, and leaving those officials with nothing to say!"

"How does Your Highness intend to start?" Ma Zhou asked with a smile.

Li Tai replied calmly, "With the Agricultural Academy, I don't need to worry about land reclamation. As for the harvest, although this year's winter wheat yield wasn't great, the land has matured significantly after a year of cultivation. Furthermore, after a year of experimentation, we can now integrate all the superior cultivation methods from the test fields and implement them comprehensively. As long as there are no natural disasters next year, I believe our yield could reach over two *shi* per *mu*, and even more thereafter. With the students of the Agricultural Academy, even if we are at the mercy of the elements, we will at least be able to eat the best of what we grow!"

Ma Zhou couldn't help but offer a wry smile. To be honest, the yield of the winter wheat this year was not much different from that of the fields cultivated by ordinary people. He truly didn't share Li Tai's confidence. However, compared to other farmers who relied purely on experience, the Agricultural Academy had at least established the habit of keeping experimental journals, and the data at least looked somewhat reassuring.

In reality, Li Tai knew that the Tang Dynasty was already the peak of the feudal era. Traditional agriculture was essentially set in stone; whether it was composting, irrigation, or various farming techniques, Li Tai was no master who could suddenly boost yields through some secret technology. What he needed to do was not to invent some heaven-defying method, but to organize the scattered techniques that individual farmers treated as their private secrets and form them into a complete, systematic methodology. This was the primary goal of establishing the Agricultural Academy.

This was why Li Tai was willing to be the magistrate of Gaoling—he needed time to synthesize these past agricultural techniques. Only on the foundation of past accumulation could he continue to promote large-scale and professional farming. Otherwise, without a solid foundation, it would be very difficult to introduce new technologies later.

Ma Zhou had never seen the productivity unleashed by resource and technology integration. So, to him, this year's wheat was no different from any other. But in fact, Li Tai’s first year was merely a large-scale, multi-variety experiment. By the second year, when the soil became more fertile and the techniques were integrated, Li Tai believed the harvest would be astonishing.

"After all, next year is one of the rare, recorded bumper years in history, when grain prices fell to three coins per *dou*!" Li Tai thought to himself. He was determined to capitalize on next year's weather. By then, when the grain yield climbed from one *shi* to two, he would credit the superior techniques of his academy students, and who could refute that?

"In short, with the students from the Agricultural Academy, I am not worried about farming matters!" Li Tai said earnestly.

"Then the next problem is population," Ma Zhou said, seeing that Li Tai was unconcerned. If nothing else, he would just have to work harder to encourage farming and ensure the people tilled their land.

Li Tai said seriously, "Yes, to make the local people feel secure enough to have children, we must make them feel stable and worry-free. Of course, we must also encourage it, but this needs to be done gradually; it takes a long time to see results. By contrast, I think we can target the floating population!"

"Floating population?" Ma Zhou frowned.

"Yes," Li Tai nodded. "The first thing to do regarding population is to register everyone. I don't want to just know the number of households; I want to know exactly every person in Gaoling County!"

"Although Gaoling currently has no powerful clans, if time passes, I fear this will be difficult to achieve," Ma Zhou said.

"It's fine. Every year, we will have the students from the Agricultural Academy replace the officials and conduct a census of the entire county," Li Tai said simply. "Especially by having students from other regions perform the census while local students supervise, with the results counting toward their academic credits. If errors occur, the reporting local student gets the credit, so we will definitely have enough manpower."

"This seems like a simulation of surveying land and population!" Ma Zhou reacted immediately. He had never seen such a use of students before. Using them for a comprehensive census in a single county showed how thoroughly Li Tai had prepared.

"It is exactly that," Li Tai said, looking at Ma Zhou's spirited expression. He knew he couldn't play dumb anymore. With Ma Zhou's intellect, even if the historical limitations prevented him from seeing the true purpose of these students immediately, he would soon realize Li Tai's real intent.

Li Tai laid his cards on the table. "I remember I have said this before. The students of the Agricultural Academy are trained to be advocates for the poor, and once the opportunity arises, to become local agricultural officials. On a small scale, it means spreading the knowledge learned at the academy to increase yields. But the true purpose is to hope they can coordinate with the imperial court to strengthen control over the grassroots level!"

Hearing this, Ma Zhou looked at Li Tai with astonishment. He suddenly stood up and bowed: "Ma Zhou is willing to offer the labor of a dog or horse to assist Your Highness in completing this plan!"

Li Tai glanced at Bai He, who was busy recording, and quickly stepped forward to help Ma Zhou up. "Why be so formal?"

Li Tai shook his head. "This is just a vision. To realize it will take ten, twenty years, or even longer. Whether it is truly useful, no one knows yet. Let us just execute it for now. We can talk about the long-term plan later."

Ma Zhou said sternly, "Such a plan, though immensely difficult, is the righteous path. Even if the great families know the use of these students, as long as they want to increase their yields, they must accept them. And wherever these students go, they will become the eyes and ears of the imperial court, helping the court see the common people clearly."

Li Tai did not dwell on this and continued, "Once the census is complete, we can find ways to attract people into our county. If they are refugees, they must work for Gaoling—repairing bridges and roads—before being allowed to settle. Another group is failed scholars; as long as they are willing to settle in Gaoling, we will help them solve their housing and work problems. After all, the Agricultural Academy is always short of teachers!"

"Then the next issue is taxes and corvée labor," Ma Zhou said, rubbing his temples. "We don't need to worry too much this year. Not to mention that the county was only rebuilt last year, by custom, the first year's land tax is usually exempted. Of course, because the first year of cultivation doesn't produce much, the court wouldn't take this life-saving grain anyway. But while taxes may be exempted, corvée labor might not be. When the farming season ends this year, the court might come to demand people for labor! Regardless of whether the court sends a mandate, I think Your Highness should be prepared."

"Corvée labor..." Li Tai pondered for a moment. "Here is what I am thinking: can you calculate how many people we need for labor? I intend to organize a specialized group of people to handle the county's labor duties. For those who do not wish to serve, they can pay a fee or provide a bolt of silk to be exempted."

"Your Highness, rest assured. The *Zuyong* system has existed since the Northern Wei, and our Great Tang has followed this system since its founding!" Ma Zhou smiled. "It is normal for Your Highness not to understand this, but for you to conceive of this method on your own is truly the talent of Gan Luo!"

Li Tai knew the *Zuyong* system was famous in the Tang Dynasty, but he hadn't realized it dated back to the Northern Wei. He had thought it only fully developed during the time of Li Longji. However, he replied calmly, "Since that is the case, I will say no more. However, that labor team must include talented people who understand calculation!"

"Those serving labor only need to be manual laborers; why include people skilled in calculation?" Ma Zhou asked, puzzled.

"Because only by calculating the total amount of work, planning how much to do each day, and how long it will take, can the remaining time belong to the people. Only then can we mobilize their enthusiasm. Otherwise, letting them serve in a daze is just letting them slack off!"

Li Tai shook his head. Accustomed to the 996 and 007 rhythm of modern times, he couldn't stand the ancient pace of "ringing the bell as long as one is a monk." With that rhythm, how could China ever become a "madman of infrastructure" again? He planned to build wonders in the future; if he relied on such labor, he would surely be cursed as a tyrant!